Not alone this time, Zelensky brings his 'right-hand' man to meet Trump. Who is he?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Not alone this time, Zelensky brings his 'right-hand' man to meet Trump. Who is he?")
File photo Photograph: (Reuters)
After gaining significance recognition since the war between Russia and Ukraine started, Andriy Yermak was the only Ukrainian in this year's TIME 100 Most Influential People.
Unlike his last meeting in the Oval Office, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Putin did not appear to the White House alone this time. He brought his "right hand," Andriy Yermak. He is Zelensky's top chief of staff. Rustem Umerov, former defence minister and now head of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, also joined the president for the Oval Oval office meeting to discuss the ceasefire with Russia.
The White House confirmed that five US officials joined the US President for the meeting. The officials are: Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and special envoy Keith Kellogg.
Who is Andriy Yermak?
After gaining significance recognition since the war between Russia and Ukraine started, Andriy Yermak was the only Ukrainian in this year's TIME 100 Most Influential People. Featuring him in one of their reports this year, Politico called Yermak a doer and Zelensky a dreamer.
Andriy Yermak is the son of a Soviet diplomat and holds an MD degree in international law. He worked in law and film production until 2019 - the year in which he became Zelensky's assistant. When the war started, Yermak was started being knonw as the right-hand man of the Ukrainina president and Ukraine's "real power broker". In many reports, he has even been termed the unofficial vice president of Ukraine.
William B. Taylor, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, had told Business Insider two years ago that "Zelensky depends on him (Yermak)," and depends on him “a lot.”
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'I don't think you need a ceasefire'
Trump had previously said there would be "severe consequences" if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. When he was asked if his ultimate goal remains unchanged, the American president he does not think that a ceasefire is needed in the first place.
"I don’t think you need a ceasefire," Trump said. He says a ceasefire is “good to have,” but he could understand why one country might not want one. "We can work a peace deal while they’re fighting. They have to fight. I wish they could stop, I’d like them to stop, but strategically that could be a disadvantage for one side or the other," the American president said.
Ukraine needs 'everything'
When a reporter asked the Ukrainina president what he needed from Trump in exchange of a deal, Zelensky said he need "everything." He says he needs a strong Ukrainian army – weapons, training, equipment, and intelligence.
He says he will discuss this with “our partners”, the “big countries including the United States”.
