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Olena Yermakova photo

Olena Yermakova

Head of Research at KI Insights

Olena Yermakova is the Head of Research at KI Insights. She is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Jagiellonian University in Kraków. She has held several prestigious research fellowships, including a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship in a UCL-led international research consortium and a visiting fellowship at IWM Vienna. Beyond academia, Olena has experience in inclusive peacemaking in Donbas with the Geneva-based HD Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, in communications for a post-Maidan government, and has served two terms as a Board Member of the European Youth Parliament Ukraine. Olena holds degrees from the College of Europe and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

[email protected]

Articles

U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on March 17, 2025.

Trump’s push for regime change in Ukraine has only boosted Zelensky

by Olena Yermakova, Alex Fynn
The debate over Ukraine’s elections and future leadership is intensifying. With peace talks gaining momentum, calls for elections are growing louder, and both the Russian and American sides are questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy. However, criticism from the Kremlin and the Oval Office has inadvertently solidified his position. For months, Zelensky’s approval ratings, though always high, had been under pressure due to military setbacks, internal disputes, and questio
Scholz attends a Bundestag session, in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 7, 2024.

Opinion: Berlin's coalition drama puts Ukraine — and Europe — at risk

by Felix Blatt, Olena Yermakova
Donald Trump’s re-election has sent political shockwaves across the Atlantic, pushing Germany — Ukraine’s second-largest donor — into a decisive moment. The election has intensified internal divides and sparked a reckoning over Germany’s role in European security. For years, German leaders deferred tough decisions on Ukraine, relying on U.S. leadership to navigate international crises. But Trump’s isolationist rhetoric and unpredictable foreign policy have disrupted that balance, forcing Berlin
Opinion

Opinion: Navigating the ‘Zelensky Legitimacy Question’

by Jakub Parusinski, Olena Yermakova
Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year term as Ukraine’s president expired on May 20. For most Ukrainian citizens, including the country’s constitutionalists, the path forward is clear: Zelensky should continue as president until martial law in Ukraine ends and new elections can take place. But critics argue that Zelensky and his decisions from May 20 onward will essentially be illegitimate. This has raised concerns about potential protests in Ukraine against Zelensky’s tenure, including offbeat Russia

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