The war has changed everyone’s view of Ukraine

IN THE YEARS before he became the second most powerful political figure in Ukraine, Andriy Yermak produced films. One of his more successful, “The Fight Rules” (2017), tells the story of a Ukrainian street-fighter called Taras. At one point, the hero declares he is governed by a single rule in life: “Finish him off before he finishes you off.” In a rare interview, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff says that not even his scriptwriters could have imagined the horrors of Ukraine’s war. But his message differs little from that of his cinematic hero. “Ukraine needs to stand and survive,” he says. “If it doesn’t, Putin will never stop.” The statement by Russia on March 29th that it will “drastically reduce” its attacks on Kyiv, which came after the interview took place, would, if true, certainly show the benefits of standing up to aggression, even if Vladimir Putin is far from finished off.Mr Yermak is a complicated and secretive figure. Unlike his boss, he does not court media attention. His main currency is his closeness to the president, forged over a decade of friendship. Before the war began, the two used to arrive for work together. Since February 24th they have been sleeping in the same underground bunker. “We’ve not been home since then,” he says. Mr Zelensky certainly appears to trust his friend. He has delegated to him the most difficult tasks of his presidency, from handling Donald Trump during the Ukrainegate scandal of 2019 to directing the current peace negotiations with Russia. In the corridors of power, he is often referred to as the “vice-president” which, according to the Ukrainian constitution is a position that does not in fact exist.