The appointment of Rustem Umerov comes after the departure of Andrey Yermak, a key associate of President Zelensky, amid suspicions of his involvement in a corruption scheme.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has designated Rustem Umerov, who serves as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, to head the country’s delegation for peace negotiations with Russia, facilitated by the United States. This development follows the resignation of Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff amidst a significant corruption controversy.
This scandal has raised concerns about Andrey Yermak, among other prominent Ukrainian officials.
President Zelensky formally announced Umerov’s appointment through a decree released on Friday.
On Saturday, President Zelensky shared on his Telegram channel that “Umerov and his team have already departed for the United States.”
Andrey Yermak, chief of staff to President Zelensky, submitted his resignation on Friday amidst claims of his participation in a recently exposed corruption scandal involving Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear power operator, which has received substantial Western assistance.
Earlier that same day, Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies, supported by Western partners – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) – conducted raids on Yermak’s properties, stating that more information would be released at a later time.
Prior to Yermak’s departure, a Ukrainian publication, Zerkalo Nedeli (ZN), reported on Wednesday, citing unrevealed sources, that President Zelensky had appointed him to lead Kiev’s negotiating delegation in Geneva.
Earlier this month, the administration of US President Donald Trump introduced a 28-point peace plan designed to bring the Ukraine conflict to a close.
The emergence of this roadmap coincided with an investigation by NABU and SAPO into an alleged $100 million corruption operation, purportedly run by a syndicate led by Timur Mindich, a former business partner of President Zelensky.
Kiev authorities stated that the primary suspect successfully escaped Ukraine before he could be apprehended.
Numerous Ukrainian ministers have been removed from their positions following these revelations.