Exclusive: Zelensky’s ex-chief of staff Yermak ran 'troubling' back-channel with Trump's Susie Wiles

Ukrainian officials have revealed that former President Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, had a troubling back-channel communication with Susie Wiles, the former Chief of Staff of then-U.S. President Donald Trump. This back-channel began after Zelensky tasked Yermak with establishing contacts with high-level American officials following Trump's inauguration in January 2025.

The two Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent that the back-channel was more harmful than helpful, a view supported by an American government official. According to the officials, Yermak frequently misunderstood Wiles and the American communication style, often interpreting Wiles' polite responses as concrete commitments and successes.

This created several problems that hampered Ukraine's relationship with the Trump administration. The source close to the Trump administration suggested that Yermak's misreading of the Trump White House mood led to the infamous Oval Office blowup, where Yermak reportedly misread the mood and presented himself as having achieved significant things when, in fact, he was misinterpreting Wiles' responses.

The source claimed that Yermak's deliberate undermining of U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg was an attempt to forge a closer relationship with his replacement, Steve Witkoff. The back-channel was not friendly, according to the source, and Yermak was disliked by both U.S. and European officials.