The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak is causing irritation in the Administration of the US President Donald Trump, as was the case with the team of former President Joe Biden, but then the reaction was more restrained. Yermak is a “bipartisan irritant” in American politics. Now there are fears that his behavior is only worsening the already tense relations between Kyiv and the Trump team.
This is reported by Politico, which spoke with 14 people, including congressional aides, former US and Ukrainian officials and other informed sources about Yermakʼs contacts in Washington. Most of them provided comments on condition of anonymity in order to be able to speak freely about sensitive diplomatic issues.
Andriy Yermak has been a regular visitor to Washington since the start of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, acting as a mediator between the Ukrainian president and the US leadership. However, American politicians often perceive him as poorly versed in US politics, overly demanding, harsh in his communication, and unable to interact effectively with the political establishment on Capitol Hill.
For example, according to one source, Yermak believed that the minerals deal was so important to Donald Trump that it could provide Ukraine with security guarantees, a view the source called “absurd”.
One of the interlocutors, familiar with his contacts during the Trump administration, called Yermak a “bipartisan irritant” and noted that he was a particularly difficult interlocutor for the Trump team, ten people said.
In addition, some officials are concerned that Yermak may have misrepresented the US position to the Ukrainian leadership.
During his last visit to Washington in early June, Yermak struggled to arrange meetings with senior Trump administration officials. According to five sources familiar with the details of the trip, some of whom had direct access to information about the scheduling difficulties.
Zelenskyʼs aide arrived in Washington without a clear agenda, according to one of the interlocutors, and the reaction of those he met with was: "We donʼt understand why heʼs here."
A meeting between Yermak and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was canceled at the last minute. According to the source, Yermak did meet Rubio by chance. A Ukrainian official posted a photo of the meeting on social media, saying they discussed the situation on the front lines and Ukraine’s urgent need for air defense systems. Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, made Yermak wait at the White House, according to another source, and then canceled the meeting.
Yermakʼs spokesman Oleksiy Tkachuk denied this interpretation of the trip in a comment to the publication. He said that the meeting with Rubio took place in his office at the White House, and the meeting with Wiles was on schedule, although it lasted less than planned. At the same time, a White House representative said that Wiles did not meet with Yermak during this visit.
According to Tkachuk, the main purpose of the trip, in which Yermak was accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking officials, was a closed briefing for US senators on the course of the war and the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, as well as a discussion of new sanctions against Russia.
"If this means that others will consider me a difficult interlocutor, so be it. I am ready to wait many more hours under any door if it helps my country and the cause of my president. I have no ambition to fully understand how American politics works, I have come to talk about the country I know best — Ukraine," Yermak emphasized in a statement released by his spokesman.
The visit was not entirely in vain Yermak met with congressmen on Capitol Hill, Trumpʼs special envoy for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, as well as Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
A source familiar with the visit said that Yermak was “unusually open to cooperation and willing to help” during the meetings. Despite this, he was left “extremely disappointed” with the results of the trip.
“From a Ukrainian perspective, it was a disastrous visit,” said another source, calling Yermak an “existential burden” for the country.
In turn, the head of the “Servant of the People” faction Davyd Arakhamia defended Yermak, calling the trip to Washington a success. He emphasized that Yermak is irreplaceable due to his contacts, diplomatic experience, and closeness to the president.
Politico writes that in private conversations with allies, according to a source familiar with the visit, Yermak accused individual Trump administration officials of ties to Russia — in particular, Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who met with Putin four times.
One of the interlocutors close to the American administration characterized Yermakʼs behavior as if Ukraine were the "center of the world". This, according to the source, is already damaging relations. According to her, Trump often notes that such behavior is "not in the best interests" of the Ukrainian cause.
How did the administration of former US President Biden react to Yermak?
Zelensky has also occasionally irritated the Biden administration by making increasingly demanding military aid. At least once, Joe Biden lost his temper and urged the Ukrainian president to be more grateful. Yermak also somewhat irritated the previous American administration.
Former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the US Ambassador to Kyiv Bridget Brink, according to sources, have repeatedly requested that Yermak not be physically present at all meetings with President Zelensky. Brinkʼs spokesman denied this, noting that the American side does not determine the composition of the Ukrainian delegation.
Despite the tensions, however, the Biden team has largely contained its irritation with Yermak, given the urgency of the war and the crucial role of the United States in defending Ukraine. The Trump administration, however, has not shown the same flexibility.
The former Ukrainian minister reported that the White House under Biden was ready not only to work with Yermak, but also to help him better formulate requests to Washington and relevant arguments.
A former senior Biden administration official called relations with Yermak "complicated" and noted that he does not understand diplomatic nuances.
Overall, Yermakʼs contacts with both administrations have been tense, according to sources familiar with relations between Kyiv and Washington. They say Yermak is still trying to navigate the complex mechanisms of US policy.
"Today, there is serious distrust in the Zelensky team. Kyivʼs inability to understand the political dynamics of the United States has devastating consequences," said Ron Wahid, head of the analytical company Arcanum Global, who unofficially advised on the peace talks in Ukraine.
According to him, the President of Ukraine should reconsider his approaches to bilateral relations, because "this will not happen through spontaneous trips to Washington without a clear plan".
Zelenskyʼs relationship with Yermak is described by many as mutually dependent. Some fear that it will be difficult to convince the president to limit the influence of the head of the Office.
There are fears that such a position will only strengthen the voices in the Republican Party and among Trumpʼs allies who advocate cutting off support for Ukraine.
"There are a lot of people here who want to leave Ukraine to its fate, and they are pleased to see Yermak next to them," one of the interlocutors summed up.
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