Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has submitted his resignation amid a corruption scandal.
Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies searched Yermak's home in the morning on Friday. Yermak said he was fully cooperating with the investigators.
Andriy Yermak, leads Kyiv's negotiating team trying to hash out terms after Washington presented a draft backing Russian demands.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said jointly the searches were "authorised" and linked to an unspecified investigation.
Earlier this month, the two anti-graft agencies unveiled a sweeping investigation into an alleged $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic energy company that ensnared former senior officials and an ex-business partner of Zelenskyy.
Yermak, 54, has been a close friend of Zelenskyy since before the one-time sitcom star embarked on his political career, and helped guide his 2019 presidential campaign.
He has not been named a suspect, but opposition lawmakers and some members of Zelenskyy's own party have called for his dismissal as part of Ukraine's worst wartime political crisis.
Friday's searches are likely to inflame tensions between Zelenskyy and his political opponents as Kyiv faces mounting pressure to accept a deal that could force it into painful concessions.
In a statement on Friday, the opposition European Solidarity party called for Yermak's dismissal and his removal from the negotiating team, as well as for a new coalition government and talks with Zelenskyy.
"The issue of peace and the fate of Ukrainians cannot depend on the personal vulnerabilities and tarnished reputation of politicians involved in a corruption scandal," it said.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 8th of December, covering the latest developments you need to ...
Tens of millions of people in urgent need of help won't be getting much assistance next year. That's according to the United Nations which launched a $23 billion aid appeal on Monday (8 December) which is half of last year's request, acknowledging a plunge in donor funding.
Emergency crews were deployed to the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka on Monday morning after a residential high-rise was devastated by a Russian drone barrage, leaving several civilians wounded as the conflict approaches the end of its fourth year.
Following a high-level meeting of the Communist Party leadership on Monday, state media confirmed that China will seek to insulate its economy from external volatility by turning inward, pledging to "keep expanding domestic demand" through a suite of "more proactive" policies.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 8th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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Tens of millions of people in urgent need of help won't be getting much assistance next year. That's according to the United Nations which launched a $23 billion aid appeal on Monday (8 December) which is half of last year's request, acknowledging a plunge in donor funding.
Emergency crews were deployed to the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka on Monday morning after a residential high-rise was devastated by a Russian drone barrage, leaving several civilians wounded as the conflict approaches the end of its fourth year.
Nigerian authorities says they've rescued a 100 children after gunmen abducted 303 pupils and 12 teachers from a Catholic school in Papiri on 21 November.
Following a high-level meeting of the Communist Party leadership on Monday, state media confirmed that China will seek to insulate its economy from external volatility by turning inward, pledging to "keep expanding domestic demand" through a suite of "more proactive" policies.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 8th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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