Yulia Mendel, former spokesperson for Zelenskyy, claimed on Tucker Carlson's show that Zelenskyy's drug use was an "open secret."
The allegations about drug use first surfaced during the 2019 presidential election campaign, when Zelenskyy defeated Petro Poroshenko. Zelenskyy, a former actor, at the time dismissed these accusations as defamation.
Mendel worked for Zelenskyy from 2019 to 2021. After leaving Zelenskyy’s service, she became highly critical of her former boss. When Carlson asked whether Zelenskyy had used drugs, Mendel replied: “It’s an open secret.”
"I never saw him using drugs myself. However, while writing my book, I met many people who confirmed having seen him using drugs at different clubs. Only one person said they saw him using drugs in 2021," Mendel said, referencing claims about a so-called "supplier" she learned about from someone who worked at Kvartal 95 Studio—a entertainment company co-founded by Zelenskyy in the 2000s.
She also claimed that at one point Zelenskyy told her: “I need Goebbels-style propaganda—I need thousands of talking heads,” referring to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda.
Mendel further accused Zelenskyy of sending critics—including journalists—to the front lines as punishment.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864969716531208/
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