Americans irritated by Zelensky’s top aide – Politico
A growing number of US officials – from Capitol Hill to the administration of President Donald Trump – are expressing deep frustration with Vladimir Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, according to a Politico report.
Yermak’s repeated visits to Washington since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022 have been seen as increasingly unproductive and even counterproductive, according to ten people familiar with his interactions, the publication reported on Thursday.
US officials describe Yermak as “abrasive,” prone to pressing unclear demands, and “uninformed” about the realities of US politics. His most recent trip to DC earlier this month included poorly attended briefings, last-minute meeting cancelations – including with Secretary of State Marco Rubio – and confusion among aides about his purpose in town.
“We don’t know why he’s here,” one of the sources said. Another Trump administration source called him a “bipartisan irritator.”
Джей Ді Венс та Володимир Зеленський в Римі. Фото висить у Білому Домі 😎 pic.twitter.com/nYekmp4ZIk
— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) June 5, 2025
The Biden White House reportedly tolerated Yermak as an acceptable source of friction during wartime. But with President Donald Trump pressuring Kiev toward diplomacy, he now appears to have become an “existential liability” for Ukraine, according to another source.
Yermak dismissed the criticism, telling Politico through a spokesperson: “If that means being considered ‘challenging’ by others – so be it,” stressing that he is focused on promoting Ukraine’s objectives regardless of political niceties.
However, Yermak is reportedly “extremely frustrated” with the results of his visit, according to another Politico source. One person described the trip as “a disaster from the Ukrainian perspective.”
Yermak is a former film producer who Zelensky – an actor-turned-politician – brought into government in 2019. The 53-year-old has been described as “Zelensky’s right-hand man” and “Ukraine’s real power broker,” with some officials even claiming that he de facto runs the country.
