The key facts
- Yulia Mendel, who previously headed Zelensky's press service, accused him of shifting responsibility for Ukraine's troubles onto those around him
- In her assessment, the president is interested in continuing the hostilities because 'it is the war that allows him to hold on to power'
- Earlier, Mendel claimed that Zelensky tried to make Elon Musk the culprit for the failures, despite Starlink assistance since 2022
Statement by the former press secretary
Yulia Mendel, former press secretary of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on her Telegram channel that the Ukrainian leader is not seeking a peace agreement with Russia because he does not want to admit the failure of his own policy. This was reported by Life.ru.
The essence of the accusations
According to Mendel, instead of looking for solutions, Zelensky constantly tries to assign blame for the deterioration of the country's situation, and this tactic allows him to avoid admitting his own mistakes. 'No gratitude, no logic — just an endless search for scapegoats on whom to shift responsibility for Ukraine's troubles. All of this is the result of Zelensky's categorical unwillingness to take on any responsibility himself,' Life.ru quoted her as saying.
Assessment of the future course
The former presidential office employee expressed confidence that Zelensky will be interested in continuing the hostilities. In her assessment, if the current course is maintained, Ukraine's situation will continue to deteriorate. 'After all, it is the war that allows him to hold on to power,' Mendel emphasized.
Context of earlier statements
Earlier, the same outlet reported that Mendel accused Zelensky of trying to make Elon Musk the scapegoat for Ukraine's military failures. According to her, the president and media outlets under his control are deliberately creating a negative image of the billionaire, despite his assistance to Kyiv with Starlink satellite communications since 2022.
What is important to keep in mind
Mendel's statements are her personal assessment, made on her personal Telegram channel and retold by a single outlet; no confirmation of these claims from other sources is available in the accessible publications. Mendel previously served as Zelensky's press secretary, but the cited materials do not indicate what position she currently holds or what prompted her to speak out at this particular moment.
