Zelenskyy chief of staff resigns after property raid by Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies – Europe live

From 1d ago'I want there to be no rumours and speculation,' Zelenskyy says as Yermak resignsIn a speech published on his Telegram channel, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a plan to “reboot” his office with his chief aide, Andriy Yermak, resigning from the post.He says Yermak has submitted his resignation earlier today.“I am grateful to Andriy for always presenting the Ukrainian position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be. It has always been a patriotic position. But I want there to be no rumors and speculation,” he says.He will hold “consultations” on who could take over the role tomorrow, he says.Zelenskyy explained that the move came as Ukraine needed “internal strength” at a time of key talks about a potential peace deal.Key events1d agoClosing summary1d agoYermak formally dismissed from post1d ago'Russia really wants Ukraine to make mistakes,' Zelenskyy says ahead of talks with US 'in near future'1d ago'I want there to be no rumours and speculation,' Zelenskyy says as Yermak resigns1d agoZelenskyy's closest aide Yermak resigns after property raid1d agoTalks on post-Brexit UK joining EU's SAFE fund collapse1d agoPolish prosecutors charge five people for allegedly acting for foreign intelligence services1d agoGermany places Ukrainian man suspected of Nord Stream explosions in custody1d agoBelgium's de Wever worried about using frozen Russian assets in case of Russian war victory1d agoGermany's Merz says agreeing on frozen Russian assets is 'increasingly urgent'1d agoCommission 'trying to make sure concerns ... are addressed' on use of frozen Russian assets1d agoBelgium hits back at calls to use Russia's frozen assets to fund Ukraine1d agoPutin praises Orbán's 'balanced' position on Ukraine as they discuss energy deliveries1d agoEU will 'follow situation very closely,' but searches show anti-graft agencies are working1d agoUkraine’s anti-corruption agencies search home of Zelenskyy’s chief aide — first story2d ago'Everyone will be watching this very closely' — snap reaction2d agoYermak's property search will have huge repercussions for Ukraine and potentially peace talks — snap reaction2d agoHungary's Orbán expected to visit Putin for talks on energy, Ukraine2d agoMorning opening: Zelenskyy's number two sees apartment searched as part of anti-graft probeShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureClosing summary President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has resigned after Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies conducted searches at his apartment. Zelenskyy announced the departure of Yermak, who had been leading the country’s peace negotiations with the US, in a late-afternoon social media video on Friday. The president praised Yermak but made clear that “there should be no reason to be distracted by anything other than the defence of Ukraine”. Yermak had submitted his resignation, the president said. The search for a successor would begin on Saturday and the office of the president of Ukraine, which Yermak led, would be “reorganised” as part of the process. A daughter of the former South African president Jacob Zuma has resigned as an MP, after being accused of tricking 17 South African men into fighting for Russia in Ukraine by telling them they were travelling to Russia to train as bodyguards for the Zumas’ uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, 43, the most visible and active in politics of her siblings, volunteered to resign and step back from public roles while cooperating with a police investigation and working to bring the men home, the MK chair, Nkosinathi Nhleko, said at a press conference in Durban. Belgium has hit back against an EU plan to use Russia’s frozen assets to aid Ukraine, describing the scheme as “fundamentally wrong” and throwing into doubt how Europe will fund Kyiv. In a sharply worded letter, Belgium’s prime minister, Bart De Wever, said the proposal violated international law and would instigate uncertainty and fear in financial markets, damaging the euro. A spokesman for the European Commission, Guillaume Mercier, told Ukrainian local news station Radio Svoboda on Friday that they were following the corruption investigation closely and the searches showed that Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies were working. He added that fighting corruption was central to the country’s European Union accession. Polish authorities have charged five people alleging they acted for foreign intelligence services of an unspecified country and threatened Poland’s security by taking photographs of critical infrastructure and putting up posters and graffiti, the public prosecutor’s office said. The group consists of two Ukrainians (including an teenage girl) and three Belarusians. Four of them have been detained pending trial, with the fifth one only placed under travel restrictions due to his ill health. German authorities have placed a Ukrainian man in custody who is suspected of damaging the Nord Stream pipelines over three years ago, AP reported. A judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe issued an arrest warrant on Friday for 49-year-old Ukrainian Serhii K. and ordered he be held in custody, federal prosecutors said. Hungary’s Orbán has met with Russia’s Putin in Moscow in another show of close relations between the two leaders and countries and much to the frustration of the EU. Welcoming him to the Kremlin, Putin praised Orbán’s “balanced” position on Ukraine, after Hungary repeatedly tried to block further sanctions on Russia. Keir Starmer’s attempt to reset relations with the EU have suffered a major blow, after negotiations for the UK to join the EU’s flagship €150bn (£131bn) defence fund collapsed. The UK had been pushing to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) fund, a low-interest loan scheme that is part of the EU’s drive to boost defence spending by €800bn and rearm the continent, in response to the growing threat from Russia and cooling relations between Donald Trump’s US and the EU. Strikes and protests in Italy on Friday against Giorgia Meloni’s government caused the cancellation of dozens of flights and disrupted train services around the country. The hardline USB union and smaller worker organisations called the one-day action against the government’s plans to raise military spending and its support for Israel. A spokesman for the European Commission, Guillaume Mercier, told Ukrainian local news station Radio Svoboda on Friday that they were following the corruption investigation closely and the searches showed that Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies were working.He added that fighting corruption was central to the country’s European Union accession.Alexandra ToppingKeir Starmer’s attempt to reset relations with the EU have suffered a major blow, after negotiations for the UK to join the EU’s flagship €150bn (£131bn) defence fund collapsed.The UK had been pushing to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) fund, a low-interest loan scheme that is part of the EU’s drive to boost defence spending by €800bn and rearm the continent, in response to the growing threat from Russia and cooling relations between Donald Trump’s US and the EU.Entrance to the scheme would have enabled the British government to secure a bigger role for its defence firms. In September, France proposed a ceiling on the value of UK-produced military components in the fund.The UK and EU had been expected to sign a technical agreement on Safe after establishing an administrative fee from London. But after months of wrangling, and only days before the 30 November deadline for an agreement, sources said the two sides remained “far apart” on the financial contribution Britain would make, Bloomberg reported.Strikes and protests in Italy on Friday against Giorgia Meloni’s government caused the cancellation of dozens of flights and disrupted train services around the country.The hardline USB union and smaller worker organisations called the one-day action against the government’s plans to raise military spending and its support for Israel.Recent years have seen the emergence of the USB as an aggressive grass-roots union which is challenging the traditional dominance of the three main confederations, the left-wing CGIL and the centrist CISL and UIL.Milan’s Malpensa cancelled at least 27 flights, while Bologna scrapped at least 17. Other affected airports include Milan’s Linate, Naples and Venice.Italy’s flagship carrier ITA Airways said it had cancelled 26 domestic flights due to the strikes.Yermak formally dismissed from postAnd here’s the official confirmation: the presidential decree formally dismissing Yermak from the post.Ahead of peace talks earlier this year, my colleague Pjotr Sauer offered this helpful snap profile of Yermak, describing his unprecedented position at the heart of the Ukrainian government: Andriy Yermak is Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff and widely regarded as the country’s second most powerful figure after the country’s president. A former entertainment lawyer and film producer, Yermak became a close confidant of Zelenskyy during his media career and joined his political team in 2019. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Yermak has emerged as a central figure in Ukraine’s wartime leadership. He oversees foreign policy, intelligence coordination, and high-level diplomacy, including prisoner exchanges and peace negotiations. His influence is so extensive that he has been dubbed Ukraine’s “Green Cardinal” and “de facto vice-president”. Yermak’s prominence has drawn praise and controversy, with critics accusing him of centralising power. He’s now gone from the administration.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak walk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/ReutersJakub KrupaYermak’s resignation just hours after his property was raided by anti-corruption agencies is clearly at attempt to quickly move past the controversy which comes at what is probably the worst possible moment for Ukraine as it faces growing pressure from allies and enemies alike, and in particular from the increasingly impatient US administration under Donald Trump.But let’s make no mistake: this is a massive, massive moment for Zelenskyy and Ukraine.'Russia really wants Ukraine to make mistakes,' Zelenskyy says ahead of talks with US 'in near future'In the speech, Zelenskyy also spoke about the upcoming further peace talks, including meetings with the US “in the near future.”In a longer passage on the position Ukraine finds itself in, he says that “Russia really wants Ukraine to make mistakes,” but insists: “There will be no mistakes on our part.”“Our work continues. Our struggle continues. We have no right not to press on. We have no right to retreat or collapse,” he says.'I want there to be no rumours and speculation,' Zelenskyy says as Yermak resignsIn a speech published on his Telegram channel, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a plan to “reboot” his office with his chief aide, Andriy Yermak, resigning from the post.He says Yermak has submitted his resignation earlier today.“I am grateful to Andriy for always presenting the Ukrainian position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be. It has always been a patriotic position. But I want there to be no rumors and speculation,” he says.He will hold “consultations” on who could take over the role tomorrow, he says.Zelenskyy explained that the move came as Ukraine needed “internal strength” at a time of key talks about a potential peace deal.Zelenskyy's closest aide Yermak resigns after property raidBig, big news from Ukraine.More in a moment.Talks on post-Brexit UK joining EU's SAFE fund collapseMeanwhile, talks on the UK joining the European Union’s flagship £130bn defence fund have failed, PA Media reported.British Soldiers assigned to 7th Light Mechanized Brigade Combat Team patrol in Jackal armored vehicles during exercise Steadfast Defender 24 at the Drawsko Training Ground in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland. Photograph: US Army Photo/AlamyNegotiations foundered over how much the UK should pay to participate in the EU’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) rearmament fund, the news agency said.Reports suggested the post-Brexit UK rejected French demands to pay up to £5bn to participate in the scheme.Minister for European Union relations Nick Thomas-Symonds said it was “disappointing” but the UK was focused on obtaining “value for money”.“Negotiations were carried out in good faith, but our position was always clear: we will only sign agreements that are in the national interest and provide value for money,” he said.PA noted that the Safe scheme will provide up to 150 billion euros in “competitively priced, long-maturity loans” to EU member states requesting financial assistance for investments in defence capabilities, with the UK hoping to be one of the partner countries that could participate in joint procurement exercises, potentially benefiting British firms.You can find more on this over on our UK blog led by Andrew Sparrow (13:42).