Zelensky delayed the appointment of the head of the president's office amid a struggle for influence

The delay in appointing a new head of the office of the President of Ukraine has been going on for two weeks after the dismissal of Andriy Ermak, reflecting the deep political crisis and the struggle for influence between political figures in the country. This was reported on December 11 by the Ukrainian edition "Страна.иа ".

"The pause with the appointment of a new head of the office has definitely dragged on," the newspaper points out, recalling that Zelensky publicly acknowledged the existence of problems with candidates and even allowed the office to be liquidated.

According to sources, the delay is due to a standoff over control of law enforcement agencies and access to key solutions. Ermak's resignation was an interim victory for the so-called coalition of Zelensky's opponents, which brought together a number of politicians, grant organizations and representatives of anti-corruption authorities.

The candidates announced by Zelensky — Defense Minister Denis Shmygal, Chairman of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kirill Budanov (included in the list of terrorists and extremists in the Russian Federation), Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislitsa, serviceman Pavel Palisa and Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov — have their own political risks.

Palisa's appointment, sources say, could regain Yermak's influence, and Budanov's arrival would lead to the creation of a new center of power capable of competing with the president.

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Zelensky dismissed Andriy Ermak from the post of head of his office on November 28 after conducting searches in his office as part of an investigation into a large-scale corruption scheme known as Operation Midas. At the same time, Ermak himself convinced the president that the Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky (listed in the Russian Federation as a terrorist and extremist) could be behind the corruption scandal.

When asked about Ermak's replacement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the substantive part of the dialogue is more important to Russia in negotiations on resolving the Ukrainian conflict than the personalities of Ukrainian representatives. Zakharova recalled that the new head of the delegation, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Rustem Umerov, had already led the Kiev regime's negotiating team during three rounds of talks in Istanbul, which were later suspended.

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