“Washington has had it with Andriy Yermak”: the head of the OP irritates the Trump administration
20 June 09:03
Washington has finally had enough of Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The second most influential person in Ukraine has become a particularly problematic interlocutor for the Trump administration. This is stated in an article by Amy McKinnon and Jamie Dettmer on POLITICO, “Washington is fed up with Andriy Yermak,” "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the publication, amid the fierce political battles over Ukraine in Washington, there is one rare point of bipartisan consensus – everyone is fed up with Andriy Yermak. The authors of the article cite 10 sources familiar with his interactions with U.S. officials who characterize him as a “bipartisan irritant.”
The publication claims that many in Washington consider Yermak to be insufficiently informed about American politics, rude and overly demanding with American officials. He is generally unable to navigate the inner workings of the Washington establishment on Capitol Hill. Some also fear that he is not accurately conveying U.S. positions to the leadership in Ukraine.
Wandering the corridors of the White House
The authors of the article analyze in particular Yermak’s recent trip to Washington in early June. He arrived without a clear agenda, and the feedback from those he met was:
“we don’t know why he is here”.
A meeting between Yermak and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was canceled at the last minute, although they did meet by chance at the White House later.
Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, made Yermak wait in the White House and then canceled the meeting, while Vice President J.D. Vance ‘s office did not respond to the meeting request at all. Yermak’s representative denied some of these details, but a White House official denied that Wiles met with Yermak during his June visit.
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The Biden administration was not happy either
People familiar with Kyiv’s relations with the United States characterize Yermak’s interactions with both administrations as tense and complicated. The authors note that the former film producer still does not know his way around the corridors of power in Washington, almost six years after he became Zelenskyy’s closest aide.
The publication also recalls that the Biden administration was also disappointed with Yermak, but was able to largely hide its irritation over the war and Washington’s key role in strengthening Kyiv’s defense. A former senior Biden administration official described the relationship with Zelenskyy’s right-hand man as “complicated,” adding that Yermak did not understand the intricacies of diplomacy.
The article says that experts characterize Zelensky’s relationship with Yermak as codependent. Some have expressed concern that the Ukrainian leader will not be convinced to limit Yermak’s influence. One source familiar with the administration’s thinking says that Yermak acts as if Ukraine is at the “center of the world,” and this “has already affected the relationship.”
Yermak or Ukraine?
According to the publication, in private conversations with allies, Yermak has accused Trump administration officials of being Russian agents, including Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who has met with Putin four times. The authors argue that people familiar with Ukrainian-American relations and supporters of Ukraine in Washington fear that the friction caused by Yermak could spread quickly and undermine Ukraine’s position.
The authors of the article note that Yermak’s behavior can only embolden voices in the Republican Party and Trump’s allies who want to end American support for Ukraine. Sources say that “all the people here who want to pull back and leave Ukraine are glad to have Yermack around,” as his actions could be used as an argument against further aid to Kyiv.
The future of American aid to Ukraine is already in doubt after Trump’s re-election, POLITICO writes. At a time when Ukraine is dependent on American support to defend itself against Russian attacks, such diplomatic blunders could have serious consequences for the country’s future.
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