Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has confirmed the existence of a resignation letter drafted by the chief of his staff Andriy Bohdan, as well as other members of the presidential team, however, Zelenskiy is not going to sign them at the moment.

"We do not hold on to power. All people who came with me had agreed from the beginning that we would write resignation letters. If the society or the president feel that one or another person cannot cope with the tasks set by Ukraine, this person will resign at any time," Zelenskiy's media office quoted him as saying on August 2.

The president added that he could show to the public all resignation letters of members of his team if necessary.

On August 1, local and foreign media reported that Bohdan, a former chief lawyer of the nation's oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, has allegedly written a letter of resignation from his post. Later the same day, the Ukrinska Pravda online outlet wrote that this information is "Bohdan's joke".

Meanwhile, Zelenskiy said in a televised statement that he does not know how Bohdan's letter of resignation has ended up in local media. "But we aren't hiding anything. I'll say even more: we can show you these letters of resignation if you wish," he added. "I haven't signed it. I can sign the letter of resignation of any member of my team at any moment."

Timothy Ash, a senior sovereign strategist at BlueBay Asset Management, wrote in a series of emotional notes on August 2 that the latest events in Kyiv is "a fiasco". "This is not comedy, it is Mickey Mouse stuff," he added.

"Zelenskiy needs to get a grip, and fast. He has this fantastic opportunity to transform Ukraine in a hugely positive way - no Ukrainian leader has had such a wonderful chance," Ash added. "There are really serious, credible reformers in the country who can deliver. He should name them in a technocratic government and get on with it. He needs to resist playground politics."

In May, comic-turned-president Zelenskiy appointed Bohdan as head of the presidential staff. Over the past months, Bohdan was Zelenskiy's legal adviser during his election campaign.

According to Ukrainian anti-corruption activists, Bohdan's appointment violates existing lustration legislation because the official worked as the Government Commissioner for Anticorruption Policy in the Ukrainian government led by pro-Russian PM Mykola Azarov (2010-2014). During the 2014 Euromaidan, Bohdan did not resign.

In May, Kyiv-based NGO Public Lustration Committee filed a lawsuit in a local court over Bohdan's appointment. The organisation believes that the lustration law defines the position of the head of the presidential staff as the one, which is subject to government cleansing measures (lustration).

On top of this, more than 25,000 Ukrainians have already signed the electronic petition for the dismissal of Bohdan from his post, which is the necessary minimum for the consideration of this issue by the president. However, Zelenskiy refuses to dismiss Bohdan.