Overview of Zelensky’s Press Secretary Returns From Exile With a Message for the Tyrant
In this interview on the Tucker Carlson Network, former Zelensky aide and press secretary Yuliia Mendel argues that Ukraine is being pushed into a catastrophic, unwinnable war by Volodymyr Zelensky and his inner circle. She says she has been sanctioned, silenced, and blocked from speaking publicly after advocating for peace, and she uses the conversation to call for an immediate end to the war, warning that Ukraine is suffering demographic collapse, corruption, censorship, and long-term national ruin.
Main Themes and Arguments
Peace is being censored in Ukraine
- Mendel says Ukrainian society is heavily censored and that voices calling for peace are systematically suppressed.
- She claims Zelensky retaliated against her after a previous interview by initiating legal and political pressure, including a “linguistic expertise” review that could lead to treason charges.
- She says her social media accounts were targeted and restricted from Ukrainian audiences.
The war is, in her view, unwinnable and suicidal
- Mendel repeatedly argues that Ukraine cannot defeat Russia in a war of attrition.
- She says the population and manpower gap makes continued fighting impossible:
- Ukraine reportedly has far fewer men of fighting age than Russia.
- She cites massive monthly losses and says the country is being drained of people.
- Her core message: continuing the war will destroy Ukraine as a nation faster than negotiating peace.
Elections and democracy are being suspended
- She says Zelensky knows he would lose a real election and is using war and martial law to stay in power.
- According to her, any future election would be manipulated or postponed with excuses such as:
- soldiers unable to vote,
- refugees abroad,
- ongoing shelling.
- She frames the absence of elections as evidence that Ukraine is no longer functioning as a democracy.
Corruption and profiteering around the war
- Mendel alleges that war aid is being funneled into weapons production and connected businesses rather than directly helping Ukrainians.
- She claims defense firms and politically connected figures benefit from escalation.
- She points to corruption scandals, money laundering, and the construction of luxury homes by people close to Zelensky’s circle as examples of wartime profiteering.
Western leaders and institutions are incentivized to escalate
- She argues that European leaders and NATO officials have financial and political incentives to keep the war going.
- According to her, defense budgets, weapons contracts, and wartime messaging are driving escalation more than concern for Ukraine.
- She says Western media often presents a distorted picture, including claims that Ukraine is “winning” when, in her view, the reality is the opposite.
Notable Claims She Makes
Casualties and demographic collapse
- Mendel says Ukraine has suffered enormous losses in dead and wounded.
- She warns that:
- millions have fled,
- births are far below deaths,
- the workforce is shrinking,
- the country may lose its future population base if the war continues.
Forced mobilization and abuse
- She describes forced conscription as violent and corrupt:
- bribes to avoid the front line,
- beatings and torture in enlistment centers,
- men hiding indoors for months or years to avoid being grabbed off the street.
- She says women increasingly intervene to protect men from mobilization officers.
Humanitarian catastrophe is coming
- She predicts worsening conditions because of destroyed infrastructure, warehouses, gas stations, and energy systems.
- She says Ukraine faces a winter humanitarian crisis with shortages of heat, light, food, and safety.
Her Bottom-Line Message
- Mendel insists that wanting peace is not pro-Russian.
- She says the real patriotic position is to preserve Ukrainian lives, rebuild the country, hold elections, and stop the destruction now.
- Her repeated warning: if the war continues, Ukraine may disappear as a functioning sovereign nation.
Closing Takeaway
This interview is a forceful anti-war and anti-Zelensky statement from a former insider who says she has paid a personal price for speaking out. The conversation centers on censorship, corruption, mobilization abuses, collapsing demographics, and the claim that peace is the only realistic way to save Ukraine.