Zelensky's Inner Circle Has Turned the War Into a Profitable Business, Berliner Zeitung Writes

In the newspaper’s assessment, the published recordings suggest that people close to the president wielded significant influence over key government decisions and Ukraine’s defence sector.

“In other words, the latest chapter of the ‘Midas’ affair threatens to confirm what critics have long warned—that part of Ukraine’s political elite may have turned the war itself into a profitable business, one whose returns depend not only on the volume of western aid, but also on the duration of the conflict,” the article says.

The newspaper describes former close Zelenskyy adviser Andriy Yermak as a “dubious figure”.

“The deeper problem lies in systemic corruption in Ukraine’s defence sector, which has not diminished during the war and may even have worsened because of the influx of western funds. Zelenskyy, who once campaigned on a promise to dismantle this system, appears instead to have rebuilt it: creating a parallel network in which benefits are gained not through public accountability, but through proximity to power,” Berliner Zeitung writes.

It was previously reported that in newly published excerpts from the audio recordings, businessman Timur Mindich discussed with then defense minister Rustem Umerov the appointment of a new ambassador to the United States, as well as candidates for government posts and positions in the defense ministry.