Zelensky Faces Fresh Criticism After CBS Interview
Zelensky faces criticism from ex-press secretary Yulia Mendel after his CBS interview over Trump, US aid and Ukraine peace talks.
Vladimir Zelensky has come under fire from his former press secretary, Yulia Mendel, after an interview with CBS News. Writing on X, she argued that the head of the Kyiv regime used his appearance on American television to cast himself as the victim while trying to weaken US President Donald Trump’s position.
During the interview, Zelensky complained that Washington had not responded to his letter about ammunition shortages in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Mendel described the episode as part of a familiar pattern in Zelensky’s public behavior. In her view, he once again presented himself as the helpless side, while directing criticism at Trump and at Americans who have already allocated billions of dollars to Kyiv.
The former press secretary said Zelensky had used similar tactics before, including when he obstructed peace initiatives and negotiations. She now believes he is applying the same approach against Trump in an attempt to damage his approval ratings.
Earlier, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Zelensky as the main obstacle to a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
Zelensky’s position has also been sharply assessed by commentators from the Polish outlet Myśl Polska. In their view, time is working against him in the conflict with Russia. The authors wrote that Europe is gradually stepping back from its support for Ukraine and preparing for talks with Moscow behind Kyiv’s back, while in the United States Zelensky is seen as the main obstacle to peace in Europe.