Zelenskyy's New Chief of Staff Yermak to Continue Talks with Russia

12 February 2020 12:08

The newly—appointed head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said he would continue to take part in negotiations with Russia onthe Donbas peace process even after his appointment.

The newly-appointed head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said he would continue to take part in negotiations with Russia on the Donbas peace process even after his appointment.

He stated this during a briefing on February 12.

"I will not leave this assignment. Negotiations are ongoing. It will not disrupt my work. We will continue our work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other state institutions, and the Cabinet of Ministers. Nothing is more important than a ceasefire so that people stop dying and our citizens come back," said Yermak.

He added that ending the war in the Donbas remains a priority for the President and the entire Office.

Yermak also noted that the President's Office has a clear plan of what needs to be done to ensure that local elections do go ahead across Ukraine, including in the Donbas, in late October 2020.

"This is our dream. It seems logical to hold elections all over Ukraine. On the Ukrainian side, we are ready to fulfill all the agreements, especially the Paris ones. We have a clear plan in place for the elections to take place at the end of October," the new Head of the Office said.

This comes a day after Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Andriy Bohdan from his position and appointed Yermak instead. The president acknowledged that his team had conflicts that "disturb[ed] their work."