Ukrainian president’s top advisor resigns after anti-corruption raid on his home

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has resigned following an anti-corruption raid on his home. Yermak, a towering figure with enormous political influence, has been Zelensky’s closest adviser throughout Russia’s full-scale war, but has come under increasing pressure over an escalating scandal – even though he is not accused of any wrongdoing. Zelensky had recently appointed him to head crucial negotiations, with US President Donald Trump leading a new drive to end the Russia-Ukraine war. In a stark address to the nation outside his presidential office, Zelensky called for unity, warning: “We risk losing everything: ourselves, Ukraine, our future.” The corruption scandal has rocked Ukraine for weeks, weakening Zelensky’s own position and jeopardising the country’s negotiating position with the US at a delicate time.