EU applauds Ukraine's actions against presidential office corruption

The European Union (EU) has welcomed the ongoing searches at the office of Ukrainian President Andriy Yermak, interpreting them as a sign of effective anti-corruption efforts in the country.

EU chief spokesperson Paula Pinho emphasised that the actions were “ongoing” and noted that they “show that the anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine are doing their work.”

Echoing this view, EU Enlargement spokesperson Guillaume Mercier stated that the investigation “showed precisely that the anti-corruption bodies are actually in place and they’re allowed to function.” He added:

“Let me stress the fight against corruption is a key element for a country to join the EU, it requires continuous efforts and a strong capacity to fight corruption. This is a key element that we also address in our enlargement report that was published a couple of weeks ago, so we will continue to follow the situation very closely.”

On November 28, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) conducted searches at the office of Yermak in the government quarter of Kyiv.

Earlier, Ukrainian parliamentarian Maryana Bezuhla noted that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly seeking a replacement for his presidential chief, suggesting that “similar processes have begun occurring in other regions” as well.

Andriy Yermak has served as Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine since February 2020. He is widely regarded as Zelenskyy’s right-hand man and is considered the most influential unelected official in Kyiv, playing a central role in wartime diplomacy, internal decision-making, and government appointments.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Yermak has coordinated many top-level Ukrainian initiatives, including negotiating prisoner exchanges and managing key military, diplomatic, and humanitarian operations.

However, critics within Ukraine and among Western observers have raised concerns that Yermak’s concentration of power undermines institutional checks and balances. He has been accused of centralising authority over ministries, security services, and even anti-corruption agencies, sparking fears of an excessive accumulation of influence.

The current anti-corruption operation targeting Yermak’s office is widely viewed as part of a broader pushback against alleged corruption among Ukraine’s wartime elite.

By Tamilla Hasanova