6’1” Andriy Yermak Embarrasses 5’3” Vice President Harris. Why Was He In The Front Row And She In The Second Row? He Knew Precisely What He Was Doing…

Why did The White House communications team members accompanying 5’3” in height Kamala Harris, 49th Vice President of the United States (2021- ), permit Andriy Yermak, the 6’1” in height Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, to stand in the front row and her in the second row for the “family photo” created on 15 June 2024 at the Ukraine Peace Summit at the Bürgenstock Resort near Lucerne, Switzerland?  

Note that Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, was in the second row (along with Vice President Harris) to the far right in the “family photo.” 

Equally unfathomable, from a political perspective and optical perspective, why would Mr. Yermak believe he should be standing in front of the Vice President of the United States?   

Mr. Yermak knew he should not be in the “family photo” but he did not care what anyone thought.  From his perspective, he deserves to be there- without him, everyone in Ukraine might today be required to speak only Russian had he not been making decisions on 24 February 2022 and since that time. 

Mr. Yermak is not a head of state, not a head of government, not a member of the cabinet confirmed by the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament of Ukraine, not an elected officeholder.   

To use a phrase increasingly popular in the United States, he is truly a member, an uber member, perhaps the head of the deep state.  

Given the intensity both Mr. Yermak and Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (2019- ), who is 5’7”, devote to direction, imagery, messaging, optics, production, protocol, and ratings, the positioning in the “family photo” can only be viewed from one perspective- Mr. Yermak knew precisely what he was doing in choosing to stand in front of the Vice President of the United States.  He wanted to humiliate her, diminish her.   

His message to the Biden-Harris Administration (2021- ) was succinct:  HE is more important and, critically, he has equal standing to the President of Ukraine.  They are a team.  By usurping clear protocol standards- by any stretching of the rules, Mr. Yermak elevated himself to the level of a head of state and head of government.  Astonishing. 

President Zelensky needs to reign-in Mr. Yermak.