KYIV, Ukraine — 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 was a blow for the Ukrainian leader that risked disrupting his negotiating strategy 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 long been a trusted confidant of Zelenskyy, who has resisted persistent pressure to replace him.

In a nod to the controversy over Yermak’s long stay at his side, Zelenskyy said Russia was waiting for Ukraine to make missteps a

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