Spiegel: Zelenskyy’s silence could end in disaster

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s silence following the blow to his reputation caused by a corruption scandal could turn into a disaster for him, according to the German newspaper Spiegel.

According to the publication, the strategy chosen by the Ukrainian leader—to remain silent—does not resolve the problem of growing public outrage. “His office dismisses media inquiries with meaningless platitudes. But public anger does not simply disappear because of silence,” the article states.

The controversy centres on a corruption investigation involving former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak and several figures from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner circle. Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators allege that millions of euros were diverted from the state-owned energy company Energoatom to finance the construction of a luxury villa complex known as the “Dynasty” project.

The allegations triggered widespread public anger in Ukraine, particularly after reports claimed that construction work on the villas continued during the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, when ordinary Ukrainians were raising money for military equipment and humanitarian needs.

The scandal deepened after investigators formally handed Yermak a notice of suspicion in a criminal case related to the alleged laundering of illegal funds. The probe also reportedly involves former deputy prime minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and businessman Timur Mindich, both considered close associates of Zelenskyy.

Speculation intensified after media reports suggested that one of the unnamed beneficiaries in the investigation, identified only as “R1”, could refer to Zelenskyy himself, although Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities have denied that the president is officially part of the case.

By Vugar Khalilov