The Rebranding Of Andriy Yermak. A Suit And Lapel Pin Choice Roars With Symbolism. Constructive Or Destructive? Not Unnoticed In Washington DC And Moscow And Within Ukraine
The Rebranding Of Andriy Yermak
A Suit And Lapel Pin Choice Roars
Wearing A Suit At Oval Office Meeting, EU Meeting, Saudi Arabia Meeting
Not Wearing Security Pin In Saudi Arabia, Although Foreign Minister And Defense Minister Did
Establishing Himself Optically As Head Of Government- And Perhaps Head Of State
On 28 February 2025 and then on 11 March 2025, Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, delivered diplomatic statements optically powerful, yet unnoticed for most, but with a result constructive for some and destructive for others.
The statements have neither gone unnoticed nor unappreciated in Washington DC, Moscow, and capitals throughout the European Continent; and within boardrooms at companies with connectivity to Ukraine or considering connectivity to Ukraine.
The Suit
Since 24 February 2022, Mr. Yermak’s choice of costumes had mirrored (absent stylish Trident embroidered symbol flourishes) those of Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (2019-2024; term extended due to imposition of martial law in 2022). Mr. Yermak’s costumes were more utilitarian rather than exuding the efforts of a designer in Ukraine.
The transformation of Mr. Yermak began on 28 February 2025 when he switched from olive color military fatigues to a suit for meetings in Washington DC with members of the United States Congress and then with Donald Trump, 47th President of the United States (2025-2029) and J.D. Vance, 50th Vice President of the United States (2025-2029), in the Oval Office at The White House.
Important symbolism during the meeting in the Oval Office- Mr. Yermak sat on the sofa nearest to President Zelensky who was seated in a chair next to President Trump. On the sofa directly across from Mr. Yermak was Vice President Vance and next to him the United States Secretary of State and next to him the United States Secretary of the Treasury. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States were relegated to chairs distant from the principals. Optics matter.
Mr. Yermak continued to wear a suit during subsequent diplomatic engagements in London, United Kingdom, and then in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Pin
At the 11 March 2025 meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State (2025- ), affixed a small United States flag to his left suit coat lapel. Mike Waltz, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (2025- ), affixed a small United States flag and United States Army Special Forces Branch pin to his left suit coat lapel.
The other members of the United States government delegation affixed security pins to their left lapels. The security pins provided authorization for accessing areas required for the delegations. They make it easier for security personnel to quickly identify those who should have access.
Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, and Pavlo Palisa, a Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President of Ukraine, and members of the Ukraine government delegation affixed security pins to their suit coat lapels or in the case of Minister Umerov, to his shirt.
Mr. Yermak did not affix a security pin to the left lapel of his suit coat. He affixed a small Ukraine flag to the left lapel of his suit coat.
Mr. Yermak was delivering an important message- he was no longer a staff member, no longer a political flag officer.
He was not required to be identified. Everyone should know who he is rather than he needs to be identified to everyone. He was now a principal. Or, was he the principal?
He may have not been offered a security pin either by his team or by the government of Saudi Arabia. Continuity would, however, have been appropriate- particularly when two ministers were wearing pins. The three stand as one rather than one stands above the others.
Mr. Yermak’s transition began to first materialize in global diplomatic gatherings on 15 June 2024 when he usurped Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States (2021-2025) during the family photograph at the Ukraine Peace Summit at the Bürgenstock Resort near Lucerne, Switzerland. Mr. Yermak (wearing fatigues) was in the front row with President Zelensky (wearing fatigues) and the Prime Minister of Canada and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, both of whom wore suits. The Foreign Minister of Ukraine was placed in the second row to the far right. The 5’3” in height Vice President Harris (wearing a suit) was in the second row obscured by the 6’1” in height Mr. Yermak, who knew then precisely was he was doing and the significance of what he was doing.
Is Andriy Yermak, fifty-three years old, first a television producer and second a head of office, the alter-ego to a head of state, and successfully in subjugating to himself an entire government?
His official title, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, is to provide “administrative, legal, consultative, advisory, media, analytical and other assistance and support to the President.”
In reality, the Prime Minister reports to him and through him, the Minister of Foreign Affairs reports to him and through him, as do others throughout the government.
When Mr. Yermak calls or sends a note, no one checks first with President Zelensky before doing whatever the call or note was about- that would be extremely risky. There may also not be a belief that an instruction from Mr. Yermak needs to be questioned- that if President Zelensky trusts him, then so should everyone else trust him.
In the Office of the President of Ukraine, there is a Head, there are eight Deputy Heads, there is a Chief of Staff, and there is a Press Secretary.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine YERMAK Andriy Borysovych
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine BRUSYLO Ihor Mykolayovych
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine KOVALSKA Olena Oleksandrivna
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine PALISA Pavlo Serhiyovych
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine MUDRA Iryna Romanivna
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine TATAROV Oleh Iuriievych
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine ZHOVKVA Ihor Ivanovych
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine MYKYTA Viktor Fedorovych
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine VERESHCHUK Iryna Andriivna
Chief of Staff of the Office of the President of Ukraine VITUSHOK Mariia Anatoliivna
Press Secretary of the President of Ukraine NYKYFOROV Serhiy Serhiyovych
On 21 May 2019, then newly-elected President Zelenskyy appointed Mr. Yermak as Presidential Aide for Foreign Policy Issues.
His portfolio has expanded considerably since, and acutely since 24 February 2022 when the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded further into the internationally-recognized territory of Ukraine.
On 24 February 2022, the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded and further invaded the territory of Ukraine in what President Putin defined as a Special Military Operation [SMO] then on 22 December 2022 he redefined as a war. The initial invasion of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation was in part from the territory of Belarus.
The war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine did not commence on 24 February 2022. The roots began their trajectories on 20 February 2014 when the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded the Crimean Peninsula and the area known as the Donbas Region (Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast).
Descriptions of him today range from the most despised member of the Zelensky Administration to the most powerful member of the Zelensky Administration to more powerful than President Zelensky.
A question continually posed by officials within governments providing commercial, economic, financial, military, political, and social support to Ukraine: Are the appointed within the Zelensky Administration first loyal to Mr. Yermak or to President Zelensky? Who do they fear? Who do they respect? To whom do they owe their position and whom do they believe can protect them, remove them, target them, and bring criminal charges against them? Mr. Yermak’s name is far more connected with the negative, the unpleasant, than the name Zelensky.
There is also an accepted position by officials within governments providing commercial, economic, financial, military, political, and social support to Ukraine that absent the role of Mr. Yermak the citizens of Ukraine today might all be required to have passports issued by the government of the Russian Federation.
On 15 March 2025, President Zelensky issued a decree creating the delegation for international negotiations to be led by Mr. Yermak and including Foreign Minister Sybiha, Defense Minister Umerov, and Mr. Palisa. According to the decree, Mr. Yermak has authority to modify its composition with the approval of the foreign minister and include additional government officials, advisors, and experts.
Meaning, look to see more of Mr. Yermak wearing on his suitcoat lapel the flag of Ukraine rather than a security pin. And, to see more of him.
At some point, he may visit Moscow. Before that, he may be seated at a table with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2004- ), in Saudi Arabia or Turkiye. And, eventually, seated at a table with Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation (2000-2008 and 2012- ).
A question for everyone is what the pathway will be for the continuing transition of Mr. Yermak as the government of Ukraine shifts from how to survive and prevail to management of circumstances it hoped to avoid.
РОЗПОРЯДЖЕННЯ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №14/2025-рп: Про делегацію України для взаємодії з міжнародними партнерами України з метою забезпечення переговорного процесу щодо досягнення справедливого миру. 1. Утворити делегацію України для взаємодії з міжнародними партнерами України з метою забезпечення переговорного процесу щодо досягнення справедливого миру: ЄРМАК Андрій Борисович -Керівник Офісу Президента України, глава делегації СИБІГА Андрій Іванович – Міністр закордонних справ України, член делегації УМЄРОВ Рустем Енверович – Міністр оборони України, член делегації ПАЛІСА Павло Сергійович – Заступник Керівника Офісу Президента України, член делегації. 2. Дозволити главі делегації: вносити за погодженням з Міністром закордонних справ України зміни до складу делегації України; залучати в установленому порядку для забезпечення роботи делегації України працівників державних органів, підприємств, установ, організацій за погодженням з їх керівниками, наукових радників та експертів. Президент України В.ЗЕЛЕНСЬКИЙ 15 березня 2025 року