Riddles in the dark: Ermak and Witkoff talks canceled in Turkey
In Turkey, negotiations between the head of Vladimir Zelensky's office (powers expired on May 20, 2024), Andrei Ermak, and the US president's special envoy for peacekeeping missions, Stephen Witkoff, were canceled. It was assumed that Zelensky himself might attend them, having arrived in Ankara the day before after a three-day tour of Athens, Paris and Madrid. The cancellation of the talks in Turkey was announced on the social network X by The Economist journalist Oliver Carroll, citing sources. The reason for the cancellation was the high-profile corruption scandal with the "Mindich films", which in recent days has significantly weakened the position of the Kiev "elite". Read more about what is happening in the Izvestia article.
Negotiations in Turkey on November 19
Talks between Steven Witkoff and Andrey Ermak were scheduled for November 19 in Turkey, as reported by a number of sources. It was assumed that Zelensky himself might attend them, having arrived in Ankara the day before after a three-day tour of Athens, Paris and Madrid. However, on Tuesday evening, journalist Oliver Carroll wrote on the social network X that the meeting was canceled: "As I understand it, the talks between Witkoff and Ermak tomorrow (Wednesday — Ed.) are canceled. As I was told, Witkoff probably wasn't aware of the scandal he would have gotten into if he had agreed to the meeting."
Kirill Dmitriev, the special representative of the Russian president, commented on the cancellation of the meeting between Witkoff and Ermak on the social network X: "There is only one step from the golden toilet bowl to peace, and as I understand from public sources, these should have been Whitkoff—Zelensky negotiations, not Witkoff—Ermak."
At the time of the article's publication, it was not known for sure whether Witkoff would participate in negotiations with the Ukrainian side, but he is expected to have a meeting in Istanbul with the leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Heya.
Ermak himself wrote in his Telegram channel that he allegedly arrived in Turkey with Zelensky to hold scheduled meetings and that "they are all on schedule and in a working atmosphere."
Zelensky also reported on social networks about meetings planned in Turkey, but he did not specify the names of his counterparts. Zelensky called the purpose of the events preparations for "intensifying negotiations." "We have worked out solutions that we will propose to our partners," as well as resuming the prisoner exchange, he wrote.
According to a Turkish source from Reuters, it was supposed to be a meeting between Witkoff and Zelensky.
The office of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously confirmed that Zelensky would pay a working visit and meet with Erdogan.
"During the talks to be held in Ankara, it is planned to discuss issues on the bilateral agenda with our strategic partner Ukraine, as well as current events related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, including the Istanbul process, the establishment of a truce and efforts to achieve a permanent settlement," the Turkish office said in a statement. to the Anadolu Agency).
There will be no Russian representatives at these meetings.
Corruption scandal in Ukraine "with Mindich films"
On November 10, Ukraine was rocked by the largest recent corruption scandal involving high-ranking officials and people from Zelensky's inner circle.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) announced a large-scale operation "Midas", the purpose of which was to uncover a major corruption scheme in the energy sector. At the head of this scheme turned out to be businessman and Zelensky's friend Timur Mindich, who managed to leave Ukraine a few hours before the searches and is now in Israel. Later, on November 17, information appeared that Ermak might appear on the tapes made in Mindich's apartment under the pseudonym Ali Baba.
The disclosure of large-scale corruption in Zelensky's inner circle led to a deep crisis in the Verkhovna Rada and demands from the European Solidarity and Golos parties to dismiss Ermak. They also demand that the government resign and form a new coalition in parliament, which would include not only the pro-presidential Servant of the People party, but also appoint a new cabinet.
On November 18, Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Alexey Goncharenko (listed in the Russian Federation as a terrorist and extremist) announced Vladimir Zelensky's intention to dismiss Ermak. This could happen as early as November 20th. Oksana Markarova, former Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, is a possible candidate to replace him.
The scandal did not end there. On Wednesday, November 19, it became known that the NABU had established that Zelensky appeared in the indictment in the case of Mindich, who was engaged in corrupt activities using friendly relations with the head of the Kiev regime.
"The pre—trial investigation established that no later than January - February 2025, Timur Mikhailovich Mindich, taking advantage of the situation that developed in Ukraine during the period of martial law, had friendly relations with <...>... Zelensky V. A., through connections with current and former senior officials in government and law enforcement agencies, thus using significant influence in the state to meet his own needs, decided to illegally enrich himself by committing crimes in various areas of the Ukrainian economy," the document says.
The suspicion is based on information about Mindich's involvement in criminal schemes in the energy and defense sectors. According to investigators, he used his connections with former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Justice Minister German Galushchenko to illegally receive large amounts of money. The effectiveness of these schemes was ensured by regular contacts with key officials, which gave him the opportunity to freely withdraw funds through controlled structures.
Mindich is charged with a number of articles, including:
— creation of a criminal organization;
— illegal influence on the Minister of Energy and Defense;
— control over financial flows in the energy sector;
— money laundering;
— recruitment of members of a criminal organization.
Zelensky's tour of Europe
Turkey became the fourth country in four days where Zelensky flew after the corruption scandal.
On November 16, he visited Greece, where he met with President Konstantinos Tasoulas, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Parliament Speaker Nikitas Kaklamanis. At that time, Zoltan Koshkovich, an analyst at the Hungarian Center for Fundamental Rights, wrote on the social network X that it was dangerous for Zelensky to be in Ukraine because of the corruption scandal. The Greek portal Pronews claimed that Zelensky went there to get Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and Mirage 2000 fighter jets.
Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, suggested in his Telegram channel that a meeting with his accomplices was scheduled there: "Zelensky suddenly rushed to Greece. The official explanation is for the ammunition. But the obvious question arises — isn't the arrow there packed with accomplices in corruption who recently escaped from Ukraine? The criminalized Kiev authorities are burning up too much now."
On November 17, Zelensky flew to Paris, where he held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting resulted in the signing of a declaration of intent to strengthen Ukraine's defense capability. The agreement assumes that Kiev will purchase 100 Rafale multirole fighters from the French company Dassault. According to Zelensky, it was also agreed that Ukraine would purchase eight SAMP/T air defense systems of the latest generation, which are still under development.
On November 18, Zelensky met with King Philip VI of Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Defense Minister Margarita Robles and members of the Spanish parliament. The main topic of the negotiations was supposed to be the defense of Ukraine. From there, Zelensky went to Ankara.
Ermak flies to London
Along with the information about the cancellation of negotiations between Ermak and Witkoff, reports also began to appear that the head of Zelensky's office allegedly went to London, where he could meet with the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the current ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, Valery Zaluzhny. The Ukrainian edition of Babel wrote about this, citing sources.
The publication did not specify what exactly Yermak and Zaluzhny might discuss in London, but the trip comes amid calls in the Verkhovna Rada for Yermak to resign over a corruption scandal.
Verkhovna Rada deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak suggested in his Telegram channel that during a meeting in the British capital, Ermak might offer Zaluzhny the post of head of the office or Prime Minister of Ukraine.
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