Zelensky ended up under Yermak: what do resignations in the Presidential Office mean?

The most disturbing thing for Ukrainians was the resignation of Sergei Shefir, Zelensky’s longtime friend, founder and director of the Kvartal-95 studio. When the comedian took the presidency, Sergei was appointed his first assistant, responsible for contacts with big business and organizing the daily work of the head of state. He conducted non-public negotiations with oligarchs and dealt with energy issues. “Ukrainian Pravda” notes that Sergei Nakhmanovich was one of Zelensky’s closest friends; he is “like an older brother” for the President of Ukraine.

As the Ukrainian publication Strana writes, the close relationship between them is also evidenced by the fact that Zelensky’s family transferred their corporate rights to Ukrainian and offshore companies to Shefir’s relatives, which is why the first adviser was nicknamed “the president’s wallet.” Indeed, according to Zelensky’s recently published income statement, he, together with Shefir, owns two apartments in Kyiv with an area of ​​254.5 square meters. m and 198.6 sq.m. Together with Elena and Larisa Shefir, Elena Zelenskaya owns non-residential premises in the capital of Ukraine with an area of ​​337.8 square meters. m., and together with Sergei Shefir – non-residential premises in Kyiv with an area of ​​305.9 sq. m. m.

One of the possible reasons for the resignation, which was voiced by the people’s deputy from European Solidarity, Alexei Gonachernko (included in the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists), is precisely related to the nickname “president’s wallet.” The people’s deputy said that during the SVO, even more of Zelensky’s assets were transferred to Shefir. Therefore, his resignation is a formality in order to continue registering assets in his name. “He remains as an acquaintance and comrade of Zelensky. He hasn’t had influence as an official for a long time,” notes Goncharenko.

This version is also supported by the way Shefir himself commented on his dismissal. “Based on everything you hear and read, I’m on the president’s team. No options. Besides the fact that he is the president, he is my friend, and this is much more important than the position,” he told Ukrainian media.

There are several other versions of the reasons for the resignation of the first assistant. As the Strana publication reports, citing sources, “the president did not forgive him for the fact that in the first days (SVO – author’s note) Shefir hastily left Kyiv. After this, his resignation was a matter of time. And besides, Shefir’s previous functionality in terms of negotiations with oligarchs has become no longer relevant. Now the conversation with big business in power is direct, specific and short.” Another source said that Shefir resigned on his own initiative and decided to “go skiing” because he was skeptical about the future of Ukraine.

The second version is confirmed by many Ukrainian telegram channels: “The boss in personal conversations voiced the message that the West is merging Kiev, since the partners received everything they needed and are now looking for opportunities to dump the “Ukrainian case” with minimal image losses for themselves.” Another point that the authors note is the loss of Shefir’s influence on Zelensky. The first assistant realized that he could no longer decide much, and decided to leave the country while it was still possible.

The President of Ukraine did not stop at just resignation. Zelensky fired three freelance advisers: Oleg Ustenko, Mikhail Radutsky and Sergei Trofimov. He also removed from the post of Presidential Commissioner for Ensuring the Rights of Defenders of Ukraine Alena Verbitskaya and Presidential Commissioner for Volunteer Activities Natalya Pushkareva.

These people no longer stirred the public as much as they did not play a serious role in the current political landscape of Ukraine. In addition, they are not such “iconic” persons as Sergei Shefir, who actually gave the current president a pass into the world of politics. However, they are united by one thing – these are, first of all, Zelensky’s people, and not the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak. Trofimov, for example, previously had a complete conflict with the head of the OP.

Many Ukrainian telegram channels note that these resignations are forming the “vertical of power of Ermak.” “Purges in the Office of the President are an intermediate stage before the vacuum of legitimacy. Andrei Ermak is preparing to reboot the Cabinet of Ministers, which he can head independently, in order to exclude the possibility of the elites and the West influencing the processes after May 20,” notes one of the publications.

People’s Deputy Alexei Goncharenko also notes the strengthening of Andrei Ermak’s power with these changes. However, he rejects the version that Ermak is preparing to replace Denis Shmygal as Prime Minister. “In principle, the whole strength of Andriy Ermak is that he is close to Zelensky. It is more important for him to sit next to Zelensky than to sit in the building where Denis Shmygal fulfills his role as prime minister, which no one actually knows about.”

Another version is the work of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. They say that NABU has collected evidence of corruption on many people from the Office of the President, and this is precisely what the resignations are connected with, since Zelensky does not want to lose his rating.

The official version from Bankova was also heard. Presidential press secretary Sergei Nikiforov said that personnel changes were dictated by the “optimization” of the staff.

“MK” asked experts about what the resignations were connected with.

Leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries, political scientist Alexander Dudchak:

“There are no friends there. Many of those who began working with Zelensky at the beginning of his presidential term were removed from their posts for various reasons. Mainly on the recommendations of foreign mentors who actually govern Ukraine. Mainly on charges of corruption, because they openly steal money coming to Ukraine, and this could not go unnoticed. They might have remained in place, but still there are recommendations for changing their personnel that come from abroad. And so they changed it, and everyone is happy. I think those who were suspended are also happy, because in their situation it is better to go somewhere far away.”

Political expert, journalist of the Ukraina.ru publication Vasily Stoyakin:

“As for Shefirov, all my sources report that he is leaving on his own. He wanted to leave for a long time, because he didn’t really like sitting on the same bench with Vladimir Alexandrovich.

All the other changes that followed were the result of Ermak “re-clearing” the space in the President’s Office for his people. For Zelensky, of course, there is nothing good in all this. So there was at least some appearance of different points of view, different contacts in the Office of the President. Now he is becoming dependent on only one Ermak.

On the topic of Ermak, they have long joked that Zelensky works as president in the Yermak administration. This is, of course, an exaggeration. But Ermak is truly a person who completely connects his future with the president.

As for the rumors about his post as prime minister, I can’t imagine why he would need this. The head of the Presidential Office has much more opportunities, but much less responsibility. In general, there are no obstacles to this, but it can only make sense if some fundamental changes occur in the system of Ukrainian power. If, against the backdrop of the end of Zelensky’s powers, an attempt is made to change the Constitution in such a way as to move the presidential elections to the Verkhovna Rada, and then the prime minister will naturally take first place, Yermak may be interested in this. But this is too complicated a scheme in the current conditions.”