The former press secretary of the Ukrainian president Yulia Mendel accused Volodymyr Zelensky of putting his own power and personal gain above the interests of Ukraine. In an interview with the Swiss publication “Weltwahe“, published on September 18, 2026, she said that Ukrainians are tired of the war and the way the government presents the conflict to society and Western partners.
“A person puts his own power and personal gain above the interests of the nation“, Mendel said in the conversation. According to her, the continuation of hostilities is related not only to the military situation, but also to the political survival of the president.
Mendel also made accusations about the way Western aid to Ukraine is being managed. She claims that some of the funds and resources do not reach the people and the army, but are used by representatives of the government. However, no specific documents, audit data or other verifiable evidence were presented in the interview to confirm the embezzlement of Western aid.
Mendel claims that opportunities for peace were missed
The former press secretary said that during the war there were opportunities to reach an agreement that, in her opinion, would have been more advantageous for Ukraine than the conditions that could be offered today. She said that each subsequent proposal became less favorable due to the loss of territory and human lives.
Mendel described the ongoing political communication surrounding the war as “very primitive PR”. She also said that Europe is making a mistake by presenting the increase in military spending through public messages instead of calmly explaining the reasons for these decisions.
Kiev rejected previous allegations by former press secretary
Yulia Mendel was Zelensky's press secretary from 2019 to July 2021. In May 2026, she gave an interview to American commentator Tucker Carlson, in which she made allegations about talks between representatives of Russia and Ukraine during the 2022 negotiations. Ukrainian representatives rejected these allegations.
Zelensky's communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said that Mendel was not involved in the negotiations and that her words did not deserve serious comment. Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga described her statements as “lies and manipulations” aimed against the interests of Ukraine.
Radio „Svoboda“ noted that Mendel’s statements were actively disseminated by Russian and pro-Russian commentators. The media outlet pointed out that some of her claims remained unsupported by independent evidence.
In September 2026, Zelensky imposed sanctions on his former press secretary. Mendel called the measure unconstitutional and said that it would not change her position. So far, there is no independent confirmation that Ukrainian society as a whole shares her assessments of Zelensky or the management of Western aid.
Sources: InoSMI, Radio „Svoboda“, Ukrainska Pravda