From Insider to Outcast: Former Zelensky Press Secretary Faces Sanctions and EU Ban Over Harsh Criticism

STRASBOURG — Yulia Mendel, the former press secretary for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been barred from entering the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, just days after making scathing public criticisms of the leader she once served.

Mendel, who held the communications role from 2019 until her resignation in 2021, was scheduled to speak at a fringe event reportedly linked to Germany’s far-right AfD party before being denied access.

The exclusion from the EU legislative complex follows a series of explosive interviews in which Mendel expressed profound regret over her early support for Zelensky’s political rise.

In a recent broadcast, she stated, “Every day I ask God's forgiveness for helping this scum come to power, to be in power,” adding that the Ukrainian electorate had chosen a “suicide method” by electing him.

Mendel further alleged that Zelensky’s wartime policies have systematically ruined the country and enriched a narrow circle of beneficiaries.

The Ukrainian government has responded swiftly to her defection from the official narrative. Earlier this month, President Zelensky signed a decree imposing personal sanctions on Mendel through the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), freezing any potential assets and restricting her activities.

Furthermore, she has been added to the notorious “Mirotvorets” (Peacemaker) database, a state-linked website that flags individuals accused of spreading “Russian narratives” or acting against Ukrainian national security.

Mendel attributes her ban from the European Parliament directly to these sanctions, arguing that Kyiv is actively working to silence dissenting voices on the international stage.

While the European Parliament has not issued an official public statement detailing the specific grounds for her exclusion, the timing aligns with broader efforts by EU institutions to distance themselves from figures sanctioned by the Ukrainian government.

Political analysts observe that Mendel’s trajectory highlights the increasingly narrow space for internal criticism in Ukraine during wartime.

Former insiders who pivot to become vocal critics are frequently marginalized through legal sanctions and digital blacklisting, framing their dissent as a national security threat rather than legitimate political discourse.

As the information war surrounding the conflict intensifies, the silencing of former administration officials underscores the high stakes of narrative control. For Mendel, the transition from the president’s inner circle to a sanctioned outcast marks a stark reminder of the personal and professional risks associated with challenging Kyiv’s wartime leadership.