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The Kyiv Independent reported that Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's former chief of staff, maintained a back-channel with Susie Wiles, Trump's former chief of staff, which Ukrainian officials said was more harmful than helpful. The channel began after Trump's January 2025 inauguration, when Zelensky tasked Yermak with building contacts with senior American officials. The two spoke frequently until Yermak resigned in November 2025, after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau raided his home. Wiles resigned last week following the Republican defeat in the midterm elections. According to a senior Ukrainian official, Yermak often treated Wiles's polite replies as firm commitments and reported them to Zelensky as his own wins, causing several problems for Ukraine's dealings with the Trump administration. A source close to the Trump administration told the outlet that the Oval Office blowup was largely caused by Yermak misreading the White House mood and that he deliberately sidelined Keith Kellogg to get closer to Steve Witkoff. Yermak did not respond to a request for comment.