Tucker Carlson: Iuliia Mendel on Ukraine, Censorship, and a War Losing Its Future

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

When a war becomes a test of loyalty, speaking for peace can suddenly look like betrayal. Today we're discussing Tucker Carlson's conversation with Iuliia Mendel, the former press secretary to Volodymyr Zelensky. She's returned from exile with a stark warning about Ukraine's future. And the consequences she faced are pretty shocking. After her first interview with Carlson, Mendel says Zelensky ordered something called a "linguistic expertise" against her, which she describes as basically a corrupt tool for political persecution. Right, and it didn't stop there. She was placed under sanctions, barred from financial activity, and potentially exposed to treason charges under martial law. That's an extraordinary response to someone giving an interview. She also ties the punishment to a speech she was invited to give at the European Parliament by the Alternative for Germany. According to Mendel, she was blocked from entry, her translation was restricted, and officials tried to stop the video feed. What's your take on that? It points to her central argument about severe censorship of any Ukrainian voice calling for peace. But let's get to her core message, because it's devastating. Mendel argues that Ukraine is fighting a suicidal war of attrition against a far larger Russia, with too few men, too many deaths, and a shrinking future.

She puts it bluntly: "We are choosing between our land and our people, and we are losing both."

That's a powerful statement.

Building on that point, she claims Zelensky avoids elections because he would lose them, and that war gives him power, funding, and international fame. And she doesn't just blame Zelensky. Mendel argues that Western leaders and defense contractors also benefit from escalation, while ordinary Ukrainians absorb the human cost. The demographic picture she paints is catastrophic. How bad are we talking? She claims Ukraine has lost population for decades, now has roughly 20 million people left, and faces a workforce crisis so severe that the nation may not survive in its current form.

Then there's the corruption angle. Mendel points to reports involving Firepoint, allegations around aides close to Zelensky, and luxury mansions near Kyiv. She calls the war "business in the blood." What's interesting is her claim about Western media filtering out dissent. She says a peace article she tried to publish was rejected, while voices defending escalation were welcomed. Throughout all this, Mendel insists she's not speaking for Russia, but for Ukrainians who want their country to survive.

Her closing plea is simple and urgent: do not keep escalating this war. Stop it before Ukraine disappears from the map.