Kathrine Frich
His image as an outsider helped fuel hope for reform.
Volodymyr Zelensky rose to power promising a clean break from Ukraine’s political past.
Years later, ties forged in comedy and entertainment are now weighing heavily on his presidency.
Promises and power
During his 2019 campaign, Zelensky pledged to end corruption and patronage, repeating the slogan:
“No to nepotism and cronyism in power.” Ukrainians were told his administration would not resemble those before it.
According to The Times, that promise unraveled quickly. Within a year of his landslide election victory, Zelensky appointed 15 people linked to his comedy troupe, Kvartal 95, to senior government posts.
Zelensky defended the move by saying he needed trusted allies. Critics warned that loyalty was replacing accountability.
Scandal breaks out
That trust is now under strain.
Last month, Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies accused Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky and co-owner of Kvartal 95, of orchestrating a $100 million embezzlement scheme, The Times reported.
Mindich fled the country.
The scandal triggered shock because it reached Zelensky’s inner circle and led to the resignation of Andrii Yermak, his powerful chief of staff. Yermak’s links to Zelensky date back to when his firm provided legal services to Kvartal 95.
“They spent almost all their time together,” a former senior official said. “They train together, drink together, celebrate all the holidays together. Yermak knows all the codes and passwords in Zelensky’s life… They know everything about each other.”
Influence behind scenes
Despite Yermak’s resignation, questions remain. Ukrainska Pravda reported that he continued speaking with Zelensky and was seen near the presidential residence.
Opposition lawmaker Oleksii Goncharenko said Yermak still visits frequently. “Of course, he no longer has the influence he had before, but he is gradually starting to regain it,” he said.
Observers say this reliance reflects both Ukraine’s strong presidency and Zelensky’s personality. “He trusts only those he knows well,” journalist Serhii Rudenko said.
From stage to state
Zelensky’s circle traces back to the 1990s, when he joined a KVN comedy team in Kryvyi Rih. That group evolved into Kvartal 95, later producing hits like Evening Kvartal and Servant of the People.
After Zelensky became president, childhood friends and colleagues filled top roles, from security services to the presidential office. Of the 15 appointees from Kvartal 95, nine have since been dismissed.
Jaroslava Barbieri of Chatham House said Zelensky paradoxically reproduced the system he once criticized. “Now his presidency is seen as a continuation of the old Soviet way of doing things,” she said.
Sources: The Times, Ukrainska Pravda, Chatham House, The Economist, digi24.
