Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions on a former press secretary, accusing her and nine others of spreading Russian propaganda and supporting Moscow’s aggressive policy toward Ukraine.
Yulia Mendel, who served as his spokesperson from 2019 to 2021, prior to the Russian invasion, responded with a Facebook post stating that imposing sanctions on Ukrainian citizens is unconstitutional, without commenting on the accusations leveled against her by Zelenskyy.
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Last year, Mendel gave interviews criticizing Zelenskyy’s performance when some members of his inner circle became embroiled in corruption scandals. The suspects deny the charges, and these cases have not yet reached the courts.
The sanctions, imposed by decree by the Ukrainian president, are valid for ten years and include asset freezes and restrictions on commercial transactions. This is an unusual measure for former government officials, although it has been used against other politicians.
In 2025, Kyiv imposed sanctions on former President and opposition politician Petro Poroshenko, including a freeze on his assets and a ban on transferring money out of the country, for reasons of “national security,” as the internal intelligence service stated at the time.
Today’s decree imposes sanctions on 10 Russians and Ukrainians who “spread disinformation and Russian propaganda and support Russia’s aggressive policy toward Ukraine.”
Mendel was Zelenskyy’s first press secretary when he assumed the presidency. In her post, she noted that she had anticipated this development. “Sanctions against Ukrainian citizens are unconstitutional, as are many of Zelenskyy’s other decisions. Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposes them on anyone who advocates for peace in Ukraine,” she wrote.
Source: Proto Thema
