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Zelensky Sanctions His Own Former Spokeswoman for Talking to Tucker Carlson — Then Puts Her on a Kill List

Yulia Mendel served as Volodymyr Zelensky's personal press secretary from 2019 to 2021. She stood behind the podium, defended his administration, fielded hostile questions from the international press corps. On September 13, Zelensky repaid her with a 10-year sanctions package — asset freezes, trade restrictions, the works.

Her crime: she exposed "open secrets" about him that he would prefer the world didn't know.

Mendel's sin, as far as the Zelensky government is concerned, was appearing on Tucker Carlson's show and making statements the Ukrainian president would prefer the world forget. Among them was a blunt admission about drug use inside Zelensky's inner circle. "This is an open secret," Mendel said. "All these people are talking about cocaine, yes."

Mendel wasn't just sanctioned, she was also added to the Myrotvorets database — Ukraine's infamous online "kill list" that has previously published the personal information of journalists and political dissidents targeted by the state. The database has been linked to the harassment and, in some cases, violence against individuals whose names appear on it. Mendel's former boss co-founded Kvartal 95 Studio, an entertainment company, before pivoting to politics. The pivot to authoritarian enforcement came a bit later.

Mendel responded on Facebook with a statement that would get you called a "conspiracy theorist" if an American said it about a foreign ally: "Sanctions against Ukrainian citizens are unconstitutional, just like many of Zelenskyy's other decisions."

So we have a former government insider — not a foreign agent, not a separatist fighter, not a Russian operative — sanctioned and placed on a target list because she went on an American podcast and said things her old boss didn't like. The sanctions, according to Interfax Ukraine and Reuters, include full asset freezes and trade restrictions lasting a decade. Ten years. For an interview.

The timing is worth noting. Zelensky is preparing to address the European Parliament, hat in hand, looking for continued financial and military support. The message to anyone inside his government who might consider speaking candidly to Western media is unmistakable: we will erase you financially and make sure your name sits on a list associated with political violence. That's the sales pitch from the leader we've been told is defending democratic values.

Every dollar we send comes with a speech about defending freedom. Every week, the guy cashing the checks proves he doesn't know what the word means.

The European Parliament address is still on the calendar. Somewhere in that building, a translator will convert Zelensky's remarks about liberty and sovereignty into twenty-four languages. Yulia Mendel won't be in the audience. She'll be checking whether her bank accounts still work.

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