The recent appointment of Andriy Yermak to head the Presidential Office of Ukraine (see Eurasia Daily Monitor, February 21) could increase tensions between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, while the long-serving minister of internal affairs, Arsen Avakov, is likely to ingratiate himself to both sides simultaneously.

The recent changes in President Zelenskyy’s close circle signaled his readiness to be more independent from even his most experienced political operatives. On February 5, the heretofore chief of the Presidential Office, Andriy Bohdan, 43, was replaced by Mr. Yermak, 48, a lawyer and film producer who had partnered with Mr. Zelenskyy in business for over a decade (Focus.ua, February 5).