Following Yermak's visit to the U.S., the Office of the President is planning resignations: what agreements were made in Washington.

The visit of Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, to the USA has attracted significant attention and has already become a subject of speculation regarding political consequences. The primary goal of the trip was a personal meeting with high-ranking American officials to demonstrate Ukraine's readiness for constructive cooperation. However, the outcomes remain unclear for now.

According to sources close to the government, the Informator has learned that the Office of the President is preparing for resignations. This is a likely consequence of Yermak's visit to the USA.

Trump's Position and Possible Consequences for Ukraine

During his speech, Trump expressed the view that Zelensky is seeking peace negotiations, which is "something new." The newly elected US president also stated that Putin must acknowledge his defeat.

"[Zelensky] wants to make peace. This is something new. He wants a ceasefire. He thinks the time has come, and Putin should think that the time has come because he lost - when you lose 700,000 people, it's time," Trump remarked in an interesting manner.

It is possible that Trump made this statement under the impression of the messages conveyed by Yermak and his team to Washington. Or he may have been ironic, as the messages could have been quite different.

At the same time, Yermak's visit to the USA did not involve any official events or protocol meetings. This is normal since the protocol does not apply until the US president takes office.

However, according to sources, Ukraine's ambassador to the USA, Oksana Markarova, prepared high-level meetings. She arranged the schedule for Yermak's group in Washington so that he ultimately held the necessary meetings and even unexpectedly met with future US Vice President Jay D. Vance.

It is worth noting that Republicans are calling for Markarova's replacement following the incident in Pennsylvania. This scandal occurred back in September during President Zelensky's visit to a factory for producing ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Trump's circle, this incident involved Markarova.

Zelensky met with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and held some meetings with voters. Trump perceived this visit of the Ukrainian president to Pennsylvania as interference in the elections and even refused to meet with Zelensky. At that time, Pennsylvania was considered a battleground state, but ultimately, Trump won there. After this, experts began to talk about escalating tensions and the difficult days ahead for Ukraine. All hope was on a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.

The Meeting between Vance and Yermak was Unscheduled

Returning to the meeting of the Ukrainian delegation with Trump's team, it is noted that for Vance, the fact of this meeting was unexpected, as he was unprepared for such contact. Due to his unpreparedness, the future US Vice President declined to take photographs. As a result, media outlets published a photo of Yermak on a lawn in Washington surrounded by members of the Ukrainian delegation.

There is no point in overestimating Yermak's results: it is unlikely he left an unforgettable positive impression on Trump's team. Here’s how former Minister of Justice Yuriy Lutsenko assesses the head of the Office's visit to the USA:

"In Washington, Yermak ultimately managed to meet with the future National Security Secretary. For a moment, the elected Vice President joined the meeting. The message from the Ukrainian shadow cardinal 'I can be dealt with, I will do everything for immunity in the future' was heard. And they smiled coldly in an American way," Lutsenko noted.

Resignations in the Ukrainian Government: Consequences for the Cabinet

According to the Informator, under pressure from Republicans, the President's Office is preparing another batch of resignations. However, it is impossible to accurately predict who will be asked to leave. There is no point in guessing; everything will soon be revealed, as the preparation, according to Informator sources, is urgent.

It is worth noting that according to The Washington Post, citing a Ukrainian official, President Zelensky is already considering candidates to replace Ukraine's ambassador to the USA, Oksana Markarova, after Trump's victory. This information has not been officially commented on by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine or the President's Office.

There are also still rumors regarding the dismissal of the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, who even changed the name of his Telegram channel amid this. Previously, the public was named after him. Now it only lists his official position. Budanov himself assured that his relationship with President Volodymyr Zelensky remains at a proper level, claiming that no one is planning to dismiss him.

Additionally, a week ago, members of the Ukrainian Parliament summoned Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Minister of Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin to the Verkhovna Rada. The reason for the summons was a recent scandal regarding defense procurement for the Defense Forces, particularly the procurement of substandard mines.