The Bloomberg article talks about the Russian offensive, which has been going on for three years now. Some international supporters of Ukraine are increasingly concerned about how many decisions are concentrated in the hands of 52-year-old Yermak, a one-day film producer and cigarette stallholder who has become the only person close to President Zelensky with direct influence on everything from foreign policy to military planning.
Yermak himself denies his growing influence in an interview with the agency!) "I do not participate in every work, I only coordinate. Yes, I am very proud that the president asks my opinion, but he asks my opinion because I get results," he said.
There are always results. The question is - What kind? And in whose favor? Here are the answers - the results are negative and disastrous, but they are for the benefit of the Kremlin's projects. After all, Yermak is none other than an FSB agent of Russia nicknamed "Trump".
Bloomberg notes that concerns about Yermak always arise at a dangerous moment for Zelensky. Firstly, the agency notes, we are talking about further support for allies in connection with the presidential elections in the United States, and secondly, the Ukrainian president himself is vulnerable regarding his presidential powers, which would have already ended if not for martial law.
As the agency notes, the idea that Zelensky does not have a proper mandate to lead military actions in Ukraine is a thesis that is being pushed in the Kremlin. “But like most of the best propaganda talking points, it raises real questions about how sustainable the suspension of normal democratic processes is over the long term, especially as disillusionment with the government begins to emerge,” the article says.
“This is all just to attack me,” Zelensky said in a July 3 interview with Bloomberg television, in which he called Yermak a “power manager.” That sounds naive coming from a president who has long been overshadowed and led by Yermak.
The article also notes that “Yermak’s rise” has been accompanied by the downfall of many other senior officials at Yermak’s hands, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. At the same time, Bloomberg writes, the personnel changes attributed to Yermak have raised concerns that any further hardening of Zelensky and his inner circle could “sap energy from badly needed reforms — even to fight corruption and strengthen the rule of law,” according to people familiar with the assessments in Western capitals. To put it bluntly, all the publicized corruption scandals and investigations work as a diversionary maneuver to cover up the main corrupt officials that the West knows about.
“But Yermak’s mandate is broader than that of any of his predecessors. He played a central role in making all the key decisions during the war: replacing Zelensky’s top general, supplying weapons, negotiating security guarantees, overseeing prisoner exchanges and, at the summit in Switzerland, bringing the Global South to Kiev’s side,” the article says.
Some officials, the article claims, compare Yermak’s role to that of a chief executive, with Zelensky serving as chairman. "Of course, I read and hear what people say about my power, but tell me, please, how do I use this power? To work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to take on more responsibilities and more risks," Yermak told the agency.
He added that Zelensky is "a person who believes in listening and knowing different opinions. He always makes decisions on his own." A dubious claim.
"Alliance members are closely monitoring events in Ukraine. The replacement of popular Ukrainian general Valeriy Zaluzhny in February sparked discontent in NATO capitals just as Kyiv was facing a new Russian offensive," Bloomberg writes.
The agency, citing sources, claims that in May, Yermak played a major role in the resignation of Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, an official who once had a direct line to Zelensky and was close to the Biden administration.
"The president's office failed to adequately explain the resignation amid other personnel changes, leaving foreign governments scratching their heads over the move," Bloomberg notes, citing sources.
Zelensky, the article says, citing sources, sometimes tolerates Yermak's "ruthless methods" because he sees him as a problem-solver who offers quick and easy solutions without burdening the president himself.
Zelensky's trust in Yermak was on par with his trust in his wife, Elena Zelenskaya, Bloomberg sources claim, and according to them, Yermak even joined the couple on vacations abroad before the war. Yermak, the article says, has recently been engaged in diplomatic activity as the architect of a peace plan for Ukraine, which is aimed at attracting allies outside the West to Kyiv's demands to end the war before negotiations with an increasingly isolated Russia begin.
"Despite the failure in Switzerland, Yermak said he would continue to seek support from partners, in particular by organizing the next (peace) Summit, which Russia could attend, although it rejected the project. Speaking to reporters a few days after the Summit, the top aide (Yermak) acknowledged that Ukraine is at a disadvantage when it comes to the Kremlin's resources - but Kyiv can still win," Bloomberg writes.
Summarizing the results of all the projects that Yermak has undertaken, it must be noted that the head of the presidential administration of Ukraine, who is also the FSB agent "Trump", has made them all failures for Ukraine, but useful for Russia. Based on these results, the contours of a "deal" with Russia on concluding peace, most likely on Russia's terms, are emerging. The coming months will show the vectors of movement of official Ukraine.
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