On the eve of the new head of the office of Vladimir Zelensky, Andrei Yermak was introduced by presidential decree into the National Security and Defense Council. The procedure is purely technical, but it completed the final removal of the previous chapter from the power levers, since Yermak also took his place in the National Security and Defense Council. Experts predicted the elevation of an old friend of the president of Ukraine a long time ago when Bogdan lost the battle for the chair of the mayor of Kiev, where he planned to appoint his man from the team of oligarch Igor Kolomoysky. It was Yermak who was the person who persuaded Zelensky not to remove Klitschko.
What changes in politics and managerial schemes are promised by the rotation of personnel in the immediate environment of the current ruler of Ukraine? Bogdan was considered either watching Zelensky from Kolomoisky, or simply an agent of influence of a businessman who, in fact, made it seem impossible: he won the highest political post in the country for an actor, comedian and showman. His appointee Bogdan for the time being was almost a key figure in resolving issues related to domestic politics, for which he was responsible.
Bogdan was a conflicted, rude and arrogant man who preferred not to negotiate, but to push through his own options. Until recently, he accompanied the president everywhere. However, Zelensky went to Davos without him. And in all the next trips, the head of the office was not near the president. Then just many began to predict the quick resignation of Bogdan. By the way, a very important detail that points to a new foreign policy configuration. Following the appointment of Bogdan, Trump's lawyer Rudolf Giuliani demanded his immediate dismissal. In absolute rejection of the figure of Kolomoisky next to the Ukrainian throne, US Republicans and Democrats converge.
There are no ideological disagreements between the two Andrei - exclusively hardware. But Ermak, who was responsible for the foreign policy in the office, prefers to act in completely different ways than his predecessor. He is a compromise, seeks consensus, tries not to enter into conflicts with anyone. This, by the way, can undermine Zelensky’s position. If Bogdan walked on his head, not paying attention to grievances, and as a result achieved his goal, then Ermak would not break anyone through the knee. As a result, various political forces, primarily right-wing radicals, will retain their influence on the formation of the political course. In an interview with the popular Ukrainian resource STRANA.ua, an anonymous expert from the presidential retinue called the emerging situation “Brezhnev's stagnation”.
As for Yermak’s political preferences, they can hardly be called revolutionary.
Regarding the Donbass, he holds a more moderate position than representatives of the so-called Democratic Party-Soros clan. He admits the holding of elections in Donbass, but only after mythical Russian troops are withdrawn from there, and control over the Russian-Ukrainian border is transferred to Kiev. Moscow has long categorically rejected this option as not conforming to the Minsk agreements. Nevertheless, Yermak has long and closely interacted with Dmitry Kozak, who became deputy head of the presidential administration as the person in charge of the Ukrainian direction. Thanks to these contacts, Yermak managed to organize two exchanges of forcibly held persons. He flew to Moscow after them.
Ermak's ideas about the conflict in the Donbass do not promise any breakthroughs. Actually, he himself understands this very well. According to him, if the Minsk agreements are not adjusted, Ukraine will be fenced off by a wall from the rebellious region and will continue to exist normally. And, by the way, it is very likely that this option, with the complete inaction of the Ze team, becomes the only possible one.
The change of Kolomoisky’s person to the representative of the “quarterly”, that is, those related to Zelensky working in the Kvartal 95 studio, on the one hand, unties the president’s hands. He will no longer need to balance between the so-called pigs and the people of the Ukrainian oligarch. Both those and others remain out of work. On the other hand, in the absence of political will and the habit of relying on the formation of a political line not on one’s own voter, but on the most implacable nationalists, Zelensky’s freedom of hands is useless. Yes, and Ermak, who prefers to agree with everyone, will not help the Ukrainian leader to develop his own tough and effective political line. So it is very likely that the words about the "Brezhnev stagnation" will soon be true.
The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.