Andriy Yermak

The defining early footage from Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine is a grainy, self-shot video from President Volodymyr Zelensky on the streets of Kyiv. The message from Zelensky, flanked by his team, was clear: Ukraine’s leadership is not going anywhere.

Standing directly behind him that night was his towering adviser, Andriy Yermak—a man who has been central in keeping the government running. Since the full-scale invasion, he has carried Zelensky’s message to the world, building a strong network of friends of Ukraine, from the West to the Global South, uniting them around issues from sanctions to the environment. 

I have witnessed this firsthand during our work on security guarantees for Ukraine, which has led to a web of bilateral agreements with allies. Our work now focuses on bringing Ukraine into NATO and the E.U.

In “To the Great Moment,” the Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko wrote, “Let every one of you be ready for the great moment. Each of us can be the decisive leader when the consequential moment comes.”

At the great moment for Ukraine and for democracy, Andriy Yermak not only serves a decisive leader—but he has proved himself to be one, as well.

Rasmussen, a former NATO Secretary-General, is the founding chairman of Rasmussen Global