Despite a relatively low public profile, David Arakhamia (R), head of the Servant of the People faction in parliament, occupies a position few officials can match. (Lisa Litvinenko/The Kyiv Independent)As the Ukrainian government was engulfed in a major corruption scandal last November, the biggest one in years, a number of lawmakers from President Volodymyr Zelensky's party saw it as a do-or-die moment.The attention was fixed on one man: Andriy Yermak, the president's powerful chief of staff. For years, Yermak had accumulated influence to a degree that frustrated ministers, lawmakers, and even some members of the president's inner circle. Now, as investigators closed in and the political pressure mounted, some of his rivals sensed that his position was finally at risk.Among them was David Arakhamia, the 47-year-old head of the ruling parliamentary faction, who was one of the few officials still able to reach the president despite Yermak's roadblocks."David was one of the first to go to the president and tell him that (Yermak) should be removed," a pro-government lawmaker familiar with the events told the Kyiv Independent."We were playing our part," the lawmaker added, speaking on conditions of anonymity to be able to talk freely. "It wasn't a simple story with Yermak. We all knew exactly what each of us was doing to make sure he finally left."Yermak was tossed following searches at his office. Inside the ruling party, his subsequent departure brought relief.Then President's Office Head Andriy Yermak participates in a forum with heads of state institutions in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 27, 2024. (Viktor Kovalchuk / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)For Arakhamia, the shift marked a change that, according to lawmakers, officials, and experts who spoke with the Kyiv Independent, gave him room to expand his influence. Within just a few months, in January, he was back at the negotiating table, joining Ukraine's delegation in Paris for talks with U.S. envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.In June, he accompanied the president to the high-stakes G7 and NATO summits, the only lawmaker to do so.When Arakhamia entered public life, he presented himself as an outsider to politics — a tech entrepreneur more comfortable discussing startups than statecraft. More than a decade later, he finds himself at the heart of Ukraine's wartime establishment, occupying a position few officials can match.Associates and critics alike describe his approach as distinctly managerial: less ideological than transactional, with an emphasis on negotiation, deal-making, and maintaining functional relationships across competing centers of power.In both appearance and demeanor, Arakhamia seems more like a seasoned dealmaker than an official. He favors designer sneakers over polished shoes, rarely wears a suit, and ignores the military-style dress code adopted by much of Ukraine's leadership after the full-scale invasion.His manner of speaking mirrors the way he dresses — punchy, with sarcasm and profanity being integral parts of his communication style.