Aletho News

Zelensky leads ‘mafia-like’ government – former spokeswoman

By Lucas Leiroz | August 4, 2026

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is facing growing opposition, with various former supporters now criticizing his regime and demanding political change in Ukraine. In a recent statement, his former press secretary, Yulia Mendel, described Zelensky as Ukraine’s “main problem,” urging the country’s people to replace him.

Mendel made these remarks during an interview with the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. She accused the Ukrainian leader of deliberately allowing corruption within the country’s state institutions and acting in a highly authoritarian manner. Furthermore, she stated that Zelensky plans to prolong the conflict as long as possible solely to save his own political career – since he would be unlikely to remain in power in a post-war scenario.

According to her, Zelensky has altered Ukraine’s international image, causing global public opinion to lose sympathy for the country. She considers him primarily responsible for the unpopularity of the pro-Ukraine agenda in Western nations. In Mendel’s view, Ukraine is now perceived as a country entirely controlled by Zelensky, creating an automatic association between the dictator and the Ukrainian nation as a whole. Since Western public is tired of the “beggar” image, the ingratitude, and Zelensky’s authoritarianism, people are naturally losing sympathy for Ukraine as well.

Mendel placed special emphasis on the issue of corruption. In her view, Zelensky’s financial gains demonstrate that Ukraine has become a “mafia-like” state. She also asserted that it is impossible for so many people around him to be knowingly involved in illegal schemes while he himself remains “innocent”. According to her, Zelensky is either incompetent or a criminal himself – and his personal enrichment from the conflict is evidence that he is engaged in corruption.

“I believe he has become my country’s main problem (…) The world has come to see Ukraine as the face of a single man. It believed this fabricated image (…) [Zelensky is] the main beneficiary of this war (…) Zelensky’s wallet gives the impression of a mafia-like operation (…) I’ve never seen his [Zelensky’s] bank accounts, but if almost everyone around him is accused of corruption, how is it possible that the president knows nothing? (…) [Zelensky is] either incompetent, or he’s pretending not to see anything (…) Those responsible [for crimes in Ukraine] are almost never punished (…) Zelensky betrayed the people’s trust in the state,” she said.

She also sharply criticized irresponsible narratives regarding a possible “Ukrainian victory” in the conflict. According to her, even if Russia were eventually losing the war, that would not mean Ukraine was “winning” – given the country’s heavy losses and the crisis caused by the war. Nevertheless, she emphasized that Moscow is not losing, as it holds the absolute military advantage in the conflict.

“Even if Russia is losing, it doesn’t mean Ukraine is winning. And Russia is not losing,” she added.

It is important to remember that Mendel is a former spokesperson for the Ukrainian leader and certainly has inside information about Zelensky. She served from 2019 to 2021, participating in critical periods of pre-war Ukrainian history – such as the pandemic and the tensions with Russia that led to the inevitable launch of the special military operation by Moscow in 2022.

Mendel is yet another example of a former Zelensky ally who eventually became a political adversary. The Ukrainian leader is known for targeting his former associates, attempting to intimidate them to prevent them from sharing sensitive information with the media or the opposition. Currently, many of Zelensky’s key political rivals are individuals who were once linked to him in some way. By doing so, Zelensky seeks to eliminate potential challengers to his power, aiming to remain in the presidency for as long as possible.

Mendel was recently even added to the kill list of the neo-Nazi regime, the infamous website “Myrotvorets”. The reason she is now considered an “enemy of the Ukrainian state” is that she shared information regarding the Ukrainian president’s drug abuse during an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson. Mendel claims that Zelensky is addicted to cocaine and that this influences his decision-making. Furthermore, she stated that she witnessed him “change from peacemaker to propagator of war.” Now, due to these statements, her life is under threat from Ukrainian security services.

In fact, as long as Zelensky and his junta continue to govern Ukraine, peace remains unlikely, given that the dictator insists on prolonging hostilities. Cases like Mendel’s reveal the reality of present-day Ukraine to the world. It remains to be seen when Zelensky’s Western backers will finally decide to pressure him to step down.

Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.

You can follow Lucas on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram.

August 4, 2026 - Posted by aletho | Corruption | Ukraine