The difficulties faced by Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky worsened domestically when his long-standing right-hand man resigned on Friday, November 28. Andriy Yermak, who had long been seen as irremovable, was brought down by an anti-corruption investigation targeting people in the president’s close circle. With Russian military pressure remaining intense, this resignation could fuel doubts among Ukraine’s less resolute allies and be exploited by Vladimir Putin. The Russian president has already described the Ukrainian government as “illegitimate,” mainly because it continues to resist him.
Read more Subscribers only Resignation of Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s right-hand man, shocks Ukrainian politics
One can do without lessons from the Kremlin’s leader on justice, law and legitimacy. The shock caused by this resignation in Kyiv should not be underestimated, but it clearly responds to public demands for greater transparency and a less vertical approach to governance. These demands confirm Ukraine’s commitment to values that bring it closer to the European Union and further than ever from Russia.
This upheaval came as the search for a ceasefire in Ukraine has, in recent months, settled into a painful routine. The Trump administration regularly raised the hope of a major breakthrough, only to reveal that it merely echoed core Russian demands. Protests from Kyiv and European capitals then prompted a rebalancing of the American proposal. However, Moscow dismissed the compromise outright, maintaining its maximalist position and continuing its deadly bombardment of Ukraine.
Stupor
The most recent plan, unveiled on November 20, met the same fate. But the revelation by Bloomberg of confidential conversations mainly highlighted the extreme closeness of Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, to the Russians. This American diplomacy without diplomats shamelessly adopted a Russian proposal as its own, forcing Secretary of State Marco Rubio into some embarrassing contortions. Once the initial shock wore off, Ukrainians and Europeans managed to rebalance the proposal. It did not take long before Putin reiterated his demand for the surrender of Ukraine, which he has still not managed to defeat militarily.
Read more Subscribers only Leaked transcripts unveil Trump envoy’s closeness to Russians: ‘I have the utmost respect for President Putin’ 
Volodymyr Zelensky and Andriy Yermak in Kyiv, December 2, 2024. GLEB GARANICH/REUTERS
Kyiv and its European allies had hoped that Trump had finally embraced realpolitik, with sanctions against Russia’s two main oil companies. However, current events have dashed those hopes and highlight the divide between the Europeans and a US administration that was negotiating with Russia behind their backs.
This realization compelled the Europeans to become more involved so as to finally be taken into consideration – first by Washington, and then by Moscow. However, Putin clearly intends to limit negotiations to one-on-one meetings with the US president, over whom he appears to have significant influence. The creation of the “coalition of the willing” led by Germany, France and the United Kingdom marked significant progress. But more must be done, especially regarding the potential use of frozen Russian assets in Europe – an issue mired for months in discouraging reversals. An exemplary Ukraine can only strengthen their case.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.