Before Yermak’s Dismissal, Zelensky Held a Closed-Door Meeting with Security Officials and Fedorov

Shortly before the official resignation of Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky convened representatives of the security bloc and Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in his office. This was reported by ThePublic.info.

At around 9 a.m., the following officials arrived at the Presidential Office:

• Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov

• Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Maliuk

• Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Semen Kryvonos

• Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) Oleksandr Klymenko

According to sources, this was not the first such meeting — it may have been the third within two weeks, following the start of the “Mindyčgate” scandal. However, unlike previous meetings, this time the anti-corruption bloc was expanded specifically to include Maliuk and Fedorov.

What Zelensky’s Team Was Aiming For

Inside the Presidential Office, efforts were reportedly made to ensure that the active phase of searches related to Yermak would not be perceived by international partners as a sign of instability or chaos. It was emphasized that their reaction could be critical.

At the same time, signals were coming from within the government indicating that Yermak should step down. According to sources, over the past two weeks this position was voiced by:

• Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister

• Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament

• Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Defense

• Oleh Tatarov, a former associate of Yermak who had previously been tasked by him with anti-corruption coordination

The Meeting in Zelensky’s Office

After about an hour of discussions, the heads of NABU and SAP left the government quarter without issuing a notice of suspicion to the head of the Presidential Office. Zelensky took a pause to reflect — and at that moment, Yermak was no longer in contact with the president.

Soon after, Zelensky made the final decision to dismiss Yermak and asked Fedorov to help prepare the official video address announcing his departure from the post.

One of the participants involved in the process commented:

“It became clear that this could no longer be avoided — and that everyone supported it, from MPs and law enforcement to society and international partners. It was a state-driven decision, needed to reset key institutions.”

According to sources, this stance may also align with the position of U.S. partners. As reported by Ukrainska Pravda, American officials had spent the past six months unsuccessfully signaling to Zelensky that Yermak should be replaced as the chief negotiator.

Background

• A week before his resignation, Yermak reportedly tried to secure the dismissal of SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk.

• On 28 November, NABU and SAP conducted searches at addresses linked to Yermak.

• No official notice of suspicion had been issued at that time.

• Shortly after, Zelensky announced a “reset” of the Presidential Office as an institution.

• Yermak later stated that he intended to join the frontline after submitting his resignation.