"President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Turkey on November 19 in an effort to boost flagging peace talks as pressure grows on the Ukrainian leader and his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, over a corruption scandal. Zelenskyy said on November 19 he would be holding talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but it was not clear if he would also meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff."
"Although talks with Witkoff had been expected, reporters from Axios and The Economist said they had been called off. However, Yermak, who is traveling with Zelenskyy, posted on social media that "all planned meetings are taking place on schedule" and that he was "in constant contact with representatives of the Donald Trump administration, in particular with the US President's Special Representative Steve Witkoff.""
"Yermak has played a prominent role in previous diplomatic meetings aimed at finding a path toward a cease-fire or peace deal amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing for nearly four years. An unelected appointee, Yermak is perhaps the Ukrainian president's most trusted political ally. Their acquaintance began around 2010 and was cemented by a close business relationship before Zelenskyy entered politics. In recent years, Yermak has accumulated significant political influence behind the scenes."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Turkey on November 19 to bolster faltering peace talks amid mounting pressure from a corruption scandal tied to chief of staff Andriy Yermak. Zelenskyy planned meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and possibly US special envoy Steve Witkoff, though some outlets reported the Witkoff meeting had been canceled. Yermak maintained that all planned meetings were on schedule and that he remained in constant contact with US administration representatives. The probe centers on allegations that funds for protecting Ukraine's energy infrastructure from Russian air attacks were siphoned off as kickbacks to political insiders. Yermak has been a central, influential aide and now faces calls for dismissal.
Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
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