Sep 25, 2026 · 46 min
Mendel challenges Ukraine’s wartime politics and demographic future
Zelensky’s Press Secretary Returns From Exile With a Message for the Tyrant
The conversation examines allegations of repression, disputed casualty estimates, democratic strain, foreign-aid concerns, and the human consequences of prolonging the war.
- 1Iuliia Mendel says criticism of Ukraine’s wartime policies has brought censorship, political pressure, and personal danger.
- 2The discussion links mobilization, casualties, displacement, and emigration to a demographic crisis that could reshape Ukraine’s future.
- 3Mendel argues that continued escalation, contested elections, and opaque aid networks are weakening Ukraine while narrowing space for dissent.
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Mendel warns that deaths, emigration, and a shrinking workforce could make continued war demographically unsustainable for Ukraine.
The brief
Iuliia Mendel, formerly Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press secretary, describes alleged investigations, censorship, and political persecution after criticizing Ukraine’s wartime policies and calling for peace.
The interview turns from repression to the war’s human cost: casualties, displaced families, amputees, territorial losses, and proposals to expand mobilization to women or younger Ukrainians.
Mendel questions Ukraine’s democratic trajectory, arguing that the absence of presidential elections and pressure on critics have narrowed the country’s political choices.
She also raises allegations about foreign-aid distribution, weapons production, corruption, and business ties around Zelenskyy’s circle, while urging journalists to investigate further.
The standout warning is demographic: Mendel says deaths, emigration, and a shrinking workforce could make continued war unsustainable and threaten Ukraine’s existence as a country.
Carlson and Mendel close on the claim that leaders and Western supporters are prolonging a war without a credible end strategy, while civilians bear the consequences.
Featuring
Iuliia Mendel
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukraine
Vladimir Putin
Russian FederationListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.