Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Andriy Bohdan from his post of chairman of the President’s Office. Bohdan’s appointment drew controversy eight months ago because of his ties to a powerful billionaire.
Bohdan is a former lawyer for Igor Kolomoisky, the tycoon whose television channel backed Zelensky during the election campaign. Kolomoisky’s ties with Zelensky raised concerns that the businessman is trying to overturn the nationalization of his former bank, a key requirement for Ukraine’s cooperation with creditors.
The relevant decree was published on the president’s website: “To dismiss Bohdan Andriy Yosypovych from the post of Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine”. Local media reported about Bohdan’s decision to resign on 10 February. Bogdan reportedly had a conversation about his resignation with Zelensky. Reasons for the change were not given.
Media reported that Zelensky replaced Bohdan with Andriy Yermak, his long-time friend who had been advising him on relations with Russia and the US.
Yermak was Rudy Giuliani’s contact to Zelensky. Giuliani is US president Donald Trump‘s personal lawyer. He is involved in the scandal of Trump being accused of pressuring of the Ukrainian government to investigate former vice president Joe Biden, now a Democratic Party presidential candidate. Giuliani reportedly asked Zelensky in May to announce dubious investigations of Biden and other Democrats, stressing that he was making the request with the explicit consent of Trump.
