By ILLIA NOVIKOV and ISOBEL KOSHIW, Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Friday the resignation of his powerful chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, who was also the country’s lead negotiator in talks with the U.S, after Yermak’s residence was searched by anti-corruption investigators.

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The unprecedented search at the heart of Ukraine’s government come at a time when Kyiv is under intense U.S. pressure to sign a peace deal nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Yermak has been a trusted confidant of Zelenskyy’s for years, and the Ukrainian leader has long resisted pressure to replace him. His departure is a blow for the Ukrainian leader that risks disrupting his negotiating strategy.

In a nod to likely controv

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