Aides, allegations and accountability: A corruption scandal reaches Zelensky’s inner circle

• Tucker Carlson alleges the corruption scandal reaches Zelensky’s inner circle, says Wall Street Journal is suppressing a story on corruption by Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
• The alleged report claims Yermak embezzled hundreds of millions in U.S. aid dollars.
• Carlson suggests the story is spiked to protect Yermak, who is seen as opposing a U.S.-backed peace plan.
• The claims emerge alongside a domestic Ukrainian scandal involving a $100 million energy sector kickback scheme.
• Yermak’s deep political influence and involvement in past U.S.-Ukraine controversies are noted.

A firestorm of controversy has engulfed the upper echelons of Ukrainian power and American media, following explosive claims by a prominent conservative journalist that a major U.S. newspaper is deliberately suppressing evidence of high-level corruption in Kyiv. The allegations, which implicate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s most powerful aide in the embezzlement of American aid money, strike at the heart of longstanding concerns over governance and accountability in a nation that has received over $75 billion in direct U.S. support. This situation places renewed scrutiny on the integrity of Western financial assistance and the political forces that may benefit from a prolonged conflict.

The spiked story and its stunning claims

According to journalist Tucker Carlson, editors at the Wall Street Journal have possessed for months a fully-reported story detailing the “personal corruption” of Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky’s chief of staff. Carlson stated on the social media platform X that the unpublished report contains proof Yermak “skimmed hundreds of millions in American tax dollars meant for Ukraine aid.” He further alleged that the Journal’s ownership, the Murdoch family, is withholding the story for political reasons, arguing they want to “continue the war with Russia.” Carlson contended that Yermak, as Kyiv’s lead negotiator, is working to undermine a U.S.-drafted peace plan, and exposing his corruption would weaken his position.

A domestic scandal with international repercussions

These claims of a suppressed international report coincide with a major domestic corruption scandal that has shaken the Ukrainian government. Earlier this month, Ukraine’s own National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) uncovered a criminal organization that allegedly orchestrated a $100 million kickback scheme from the state-owned nuclear power operator, Energoatom. The scheme was allegedly led by Timur Mindich, a longtime business associate of President Zelensky, who fled the country hours before his planned arrest. In a development that directly implicates the presidential office, opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezhnyak publicly alleged that Yermak was “well aware” of the graft and that his voice appears on incriminating audio recordings obtained by investigators.

Yermak: The “real power broker” under fire

The focus on Andriy Yermak is significant given his reputation in Ukrainian and Western media as the country’s de facto ruler and “real power broker.” A former entertainment lawyer and film producer, Yermak’s relationship with Zelensky dates back to the early 2010s. After Zelensky’s 2019 election victory, Yermak rapidly ascended, eventually becoming chief of staff in 2020. He has since consolidated immense influence, accompanying Zelensky on nearly all diplomatic missions and sidelining official diplomats. Yermak is no stranger to controversy in U.S. politics; he was a central figure in the 2019 Burisma affair, acting as an intermediary in clandestine discussions with Trump administration officials, including Rudy Giuliani, regarding an investigation into the gas company that employed Hunter Biden.

A test of wills in wartime Kyiv

The converging scandals have created a severe political crisis for Zelensky. Elements of his own Servant of the People party have joined the political opposition in demanding Yermak’s dismissal, with some MPs reportedly issuing an ultimatum. In a move seen as an attempt to stifle the investigation, Ukrainska Pravda reported that Yermak instructed prosecutors to draft charges against SAPO chief Aleksandr Klimenko. This follows a failed attempt by Zelensky in July to curb the powers of NABU and SAPO, which was met with fierce public and Western diplomatic pressure. The situation illustrates the precarious balance Zelensky must strike between appeasing international donors demanding anti-corruption reforms and maintaining his own inner circle’s cohesion.

The high stakes of wartime governance

The allegations of suppressed journalism and confirmed high-level graft present a critical challenge for the continued Western support of Ukraine. For American conservatives who have long questioned the scale of aid, the claims validate concerns about oversight and the potential for misuse of taxpayer funds. The situation echoes historical dilemmas where strategic interests in a conflict zone have conflicted with the principles of transparent governance. As Ukraine battles for its survival, the integrity of its institutions and the accountability of its leaders are under a microscope, with the sustainability of billions in foreign aid potentially hanging in the balance.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

RT.com

PressTV.co.uk

Torre.news