Zelensky imposes sanctions on former press secretary Mendel

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has imposed sanctions on his former press secretary Yulia Mendel, who has been openly criticizing the Kyiv authorities.

The Office of the President stated that Mendel is spreading “disinformation and Russian propaganda” and supports Moscow’s policy toward Ukraine.

According to Verkhovna Rada deputy from “European Solidarity” Oleksiy Honcharenko, Mendel is set to speak as early as Wednesday at an event in the European Parliament organized by the German party Alternative for Germany.

Mendel herself linked the imposition of sanctions to her planned speech in the European Parliament next week, as well as to her position on the question of peace in Ukraine.

“Zelensky is imposing sanctions on everyone who stands for peace in Ukraine,” Mendel wrote on Facebook.

Mendel had previously criticized Zelensky, calling him the “main beneficiary of the war.” After her revelations in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson about Zelensky’s drug dependency, Yulia Mendel was added to the “Myrotvorets” website.

In addition to the sanctions against Mendel, Zelensky also imposed restrictive measures against 20 vessels of the Russian shadow fleet, 29 Russian citizens, and 29 Russian companies connected, among other things, with the supply of equipment and components for the Russian military-industrial complex.