Andrii Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office and one of the country’s most powerful officials, is drawing bipartisan frustration in Washington, further straining Ukraine’s diplomatic standing with its most crucial ally as the war with Russia rages on, according to Politico.

Yermak’s strained relations with Washington insiders

Politico reports that senior Trump administration officials and even former Biden administration figures have grown weary of Yermak’s conduct. The Ukrainian presidential aide, who frequently visits Washington as an intermediary for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has reportedly irritated both Republicans and Democrats with his abrasive tone, lack of knowledge about US politics, and what some perceive as an unclear diplomatic agenda.

Fourteen sources — including congressional aides, former US and Ukrainian officials — told Politico of Yermak’s increasingly problematic image in Washington. One person labeled him a “bipartisan irritator.” Others expressed concern that he might not be accurately relaying US positions back to Kyiv, further undermining the already fragile diplomatic rapport.

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A failed trip and missed opportunities

Yermak’s early June 2025 visit to Washington, according to five people familiar with it, was marked by scheduling issues and canceled meetings. The Trump administration appeared particularly unwilling to engage. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled a scheduled meeting, although the two reportedly crossed paths at the White House. Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is said to have kept Yermak waiting before ultimately canceling their session. Vice President JD Vance’s office did not respond to a meeting request.

A White House official contradicted claims made by Yermak’s spokesperson, who said the meetings with Rubio and Wiles did take place. The official confirmed that Wiles had not met with Yermak.

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The tensions beneath the surface

Despite a closed-door Senate briefing and meetings with General Keith Kellogg and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Yermak left Washington “extremely frustrated,” one source told Politico. Another described the visit as “a disaster from the Ukrainian perspective.”

Sources say Yermak, a former movie producer, continues to struggle with Washington’s political mechanics nearly six years after assuming his role. According to one source, he mistakenly believed that Ukraine’s critical minerals agreement could win it security guarantees from Trump — a notion dismissed as “ludicrous.”

In private conversations, Yermak has reportedly accused senior Trump officials, including the Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, of being Russian assets — further worsening already tense relations.

Mixed reception in past US administrations

Even during the Biden presidency, frustrations with Yermak existed, Politico says. Although the administration made efforts to work closely with him, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ex-US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink reportedly requested that Yermak not be present in some meetings with Zelenskyy — requests that Zelenskyy rejected, according to a former Ukrainian security official and a former minister.

One source told Politico that Yermak’s continued involvement could encourage Republican voices pushing to cut off US aid to Ukraine.

“All the people here who want to withdraw and abandon Ukraine are thrilled to have Yermak around,” the source said.

Officials in Washington are frustrated with the diplomatic efforts of Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, and believe he may be undermining Ukraine's efforts to win favor with U.S. President Donald Trump, Politico reported on June 19.

Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky's close friend and chief adviser, has represented Ukraine's interests in Washington since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

According to 14 people who spoke to Politico, including U.S. and Ukrainian officials, many people in Washington find Yermak abrasive and uninformed, and fear that he is inaccurately conveying U.S. positions to Zelensky. While the Biden administration was willing to cooperate with Yermak, the Trump team is less accommodating — and more likely to rescind support for Ukraine.

"All the people (in the U.S.) who want to withdraw and abandon Ukraine are thrilled to have Yermak around," one person told Politico.

One person familiar with the situation described Yermak as a "bipartisan irritator" who also frustrated officials under U.S. President Joe Biden. The former administration, however, did not find Yermak's personality a valid reason to withdraw military and humanitarian aid from a key ally defending itself from an all-out war.

Trump's stance on Ukraine has been less supportive from the beginning. Since his inauguration in January, he has refused to approve new military aid packages for Kyiv or impose additional sanctions against Moscow. He has pursued warmer ties with Russia and criticized Zelensky more frequently and harshly than Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Any hopes Ukraine has of winning over Trump may be jeopardized by the administrations tense relationship with Yermak, Politico's sources suggested.

During Yermak's most recent visit to Washington, a last-minute trip in early June, he reportedly struggled to land meetings with Trump officials. One person familiar with the visit described Yermak as an "existential liability for Ukraine."

Sources described Yermak as overly demanding and ignorant of U.S. politics and processes. One person accused Yermak of acting as if Ukraine was the "center of the world" and said his attitude "has already affected the relationship (with Trump)."

In a statement to Politico, Yermak said he was doing everything in his power to protect and support Ukraine.

"If that means being considered 'challenging' by others — so be it," he said.

"I will wait many more hours outside any door if that helps my country and my president's mission. I have no ambition to fully grasp how American politics works — I come to speak about the country I know best: Ukraine."

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Editor's note: The story was updated after the Ukrainian delegation arrived in the U.S.

A Ukrainian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and including Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, arrived in Washington on June 3, Yermak said.

The delegation will discuss "defense support, the battlefield situation, and strengthening sanctions against Russia, namely Senator (Lindsey) Graham's bill," Yermak said on Telegram.

The parties will also discuss efforts to bring abducted Ukrainian children back from Russia, a U.S.-Ukrainian minerals agreement, Russian propaganda connected to Ukrainian churches, and recent peace talks in Istanbul, Yermak added.

The trip comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on June 2 that Ukraine seeks defense agreements and a free trade deal with Washington.

"I discussed this with President (Donald) Trump... We want to buy (weapons.) This is what the agreement is about – no gifts," Zelensky said.

The Trump administration has not approved any new major military aid packages for Ukraine, and the assistance allocated under the previous Biden administration is steadily running out. Zelensky's team has therefore offered Washington to buy U.S. weapons instead of receiving them as donations.

The visit also follows the second round of Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Istanbul on June 2, which focused on a new prisoner exchange but yet again failed to achieve a breakthrough in peace efforts.

Zelensky has urged Trump to impose additional sanctions on Russia if the peace talks stall.

"If the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently needed — from the EU's 18th package, and from the United States specifically, the strongest sanctions President Trump promised," Zelensky said on June 2.

Trump said on May 28 that the U.S. would soon know whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war. If not, he warned, Washington would "respond a little bit differently."

The U.S. president also said last month he had not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia because he believed a peace deal might be within reach. "If I think I'm close to getting a deal, I don't want to screw it up by doing that," he said, but added he is prepared to act if Moscow stalls further.

This week, the U.S. Senate is expected to "start moving" forward a new bill backed by Senator Graham that would impose 500% tariffs on imports from countries purchasing Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other products.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, slammed Russia for "once again stalling for time."

Rejecting Kyiv's offer of a long-term truce, Russia only proposed a temporary two- to three-day ceasefire in specific areas of the front line to allow for the retrieval of fallen soldiers' bodies. Ukraine and Russia also agreed to work on another prisoner exchange with up to 1,200 captives from each side.

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