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.

The unprecedented search at the heart of Ukraine’s government comes 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 cont

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