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A new political scandal has been unfolding in Ukraine since May 11. Once again, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner circle has come under fire from law enforcement agencies. Notably, this new round of the fight against corruption comes exactly six months after the “Mindich case.” At that time, two Ukrainian ministers lost their posts and several major oligarchs were forced to flee the country. Additionally, Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, lost his position. Considered Zelenskyy’s right-hand man, Yermak wields significant influence in domestic and foreign policy decisions. Therefore, despite losing his official status in the country’s leadership, his influence on state processes remains. On May 11, operatives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) detained him.
A second major blow to the president’s reputation came with the publication of a major interview with Yulia Mendel, the former press secretary to the president, conducted by the well-known American journalist Tucker Carlson. During the interview, claims were made that proved what had previously been only a theory. Many previously hidden processes were also revealed. Together, these developments completely expose the true nature of the Ukrainian government and its leader. Typically, such sensational reports are not published without good reason.
Clearly, a comprehensive smear campaign has been launched against Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The domestic situation in Ukraine is set to face a series of upheavals, making the chances of a rapid resolution to the conflict with Moscow higher than ever.
Losing the main pillar
Eleven NABU investigators conducted a thorough operation in Kyiv, during which they served former Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak with a formal notice of suspicion. The case involves the laundering of 460 million hryvnia (approximately $10.4 million) during the construction of the luxury residential community “Dynasty” near Kyiv. This notice constitutes an official criminal charge under Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for the legalization of property obtained by criminal means, committed by a group of persons or on a particularly large scale. On the same day, the bureau and the prosecutor’s office took investigative action against Yermak. On May 12, the SAP announced that it would request that the court arrest the former official and set bail at 180 million hryvnia (approximately $4 million).
This investigation is just the tip of the iceberg of a broader operation called “Midas,” which began in November 2025. At the center of the scandal is businessman Timur Mindich, whom the press calls “Zelenskyy’s wallet.” The NABU obtained over 1,000 hours of audio recordings from his apartment in which corruption schemes and kickbacks were discussed.
Immediately after the charges were filed, NABU released new excerpts from the recordings. In the recordings, the individuals involved are identified by pseudonyms: “Che Guevara” is former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, “Carlson” is Timur Mindich, and “R2” (“The Surgeon”) is Andriy Yermak. The owners of the elite cottage community “Dynasty” are individuals using the pseudonyms R1, R2, R3, and R4, while another cottage, R0, was intended for shared use.
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When the corruption audio recordings were first published, a certain “Vova” (short for Vladimir) appeared among these individuals. In the current files, he is listed as R1. The identity of the official behind this pseudonym has not yet been disclosed. However, it can be assumed that the circle of individuals with this pseudonym is extremely limited because the entire corruption network operated at the highest echelons of power.
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In general, corruption exists in one form or another in every country. This scandal could be considered an internal matter for Ukraine were it not for several key details. First, it is important to note who planned and carried out Operation Midas and its follow-up. NABU operatives are responsible for these activities. NABU was established in 2015 with direct support from Washington. The U.S. provided significant financial, technical, and expert support during its formation. Consequently, the U.S. administration had the opportunity to recruit operatives loyal to it and independent of the Ukrainian government to join NABU’s ranks. Therefore, it can be concluded that this agency serves as an American tool for monitoring Ukraine’s top officials and that the White House can use it to exert pressure on Kyiv.
According to Ukrainian sources, the intensified activity of anti-corruption agencies may be linked to the fact that, on May 9, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitcoff delivered Trump’s ultimatum to Zelenskyy regarding the need to end the war. Otherwise, the U.S. would release a large amount of compromising material on the entire Kyiv leadership. The Ukrainian leadership reportedly refused to accept the ultimatum, triggering a new wave of arrests and the release of compromising information. Thus, the White House dealt a serious blow to Zelenskyy and his inner circle by removing his trusted aide. Given the current conditions of large-scale war and internal tensions, losing any trusted aide could seriously undermine the Ukrainian president’s position.
The Voice of Truth
On May 11, an interview was published featuring Yulia Mendel, the former press secretary to the president of Ukraine, in conversation with renowned American journalist Tucker Carlson. The video received an enormous online response because it addressed many issues that had previously been called into question. Watch the full conversation below.
Yulia Mendel’s interview is worth watching in its entirety. That said, the interview highlights key points that alter our perception of certain domestic and foreign political processes, either partially or completely.
— Members of the Ukrainian delegation at the 2022 talks in Istanbul later told Mendel that Zelenskyy had personally agreed to hand over Donbas to Russia. According to Mendel, this shift in position was influenced by the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, an honorary citizen of Kyiv, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Blinken, Mendel says, insisted at the time that if Kyiv wanted to fight, they should be allowed to.
“Russia and Ukraine had reached an agreement on Donbas, language, and many other issues. But then he (Zelenskyy) was promised money and fame—that he would become a great man if he went to war with Russia—and that is all Zelenskyy wants,” Mendel stated.
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— Mendel claims that, during a closed-door meeting in Paris in 2019, Zelensky personally promised Putin that Ukraine would never join NATO. However, now the issue of joining the alliance has become a convenient political tool for Zelensky. It allows him to set unmet conditions in negotiations and promise Ukrainians a “wonderful future” at some point in the future.
— Ukraine isn’t ready for democracy; it needs a dictatorship. According to Mendel, Zelenskyy has been saying this all along.
“He abused the people’s trust. Behind the scenes, he’s a completely different person. For two years, this man has been saying that Ukraine isn’t ready for democracy and that a dictatorship is the way to go.” she said.
— According to Mendel, Zelenskyy is personally behind many corruption cases, and Andriy Yermak is helping him. To back up her words, she told Carlson the story of an acquaintance who was a candidate for Minister of Social Policy. The candidate was invited to an interview with Zelensky and Yermak, during which he would have to present money laundering schemes passing through the ministry.
“When we talk about poor pensioners and know that Zelenskyy approves of money laundering schemes, the question arises: Is he guilty?” Mendel told Carlson.
— Among Zelenskyy’s inner circle, there is an unspoken ban on criticizing him. Such criticism is considered “harmful to Ukraine.”
— Mendel said she suspects Zelensky of using drugs. She said that, when the conflict in Donbas began, Zelenskyy smoked marijuana in Crimea with his friends from “Kvartal 95.”
“I myself have never seen him use drugs, but many people confirm it. Sometimes he would go into the bathroom for 15 minutes and come back full of energy, like a completely different person. That always surprised me.” —Yulia Mendel
— According to Mendel, the president has launched a massive propaganda campaign.
“I need Goebbels’ propaganda (the Nazi propaganda minister). I need a thousand of Goebbels’ talking heads,” she quoted her former boss as saying.
— As of today, Mendel estimates that no more than 25 million people live in Ukraine. Over 11 million of them are pensioners who must survive on $75–$200 a month. Ukraine is facing population outflow, poverty, and the depletion of human resources.
All of the above points seriously undermine Zelenskyy’s position. It turns out that the war with Russia could have been avoided through negotiations as early as 2022, which would have prevented the deaths of and mass exodus of millions of citizens. If Mendel’s statements are accurate and 11 million of Ukraine’s remaining 25 million people are pensioners, the country will be unable to sustain its economy without foreign aid. Zelenskyy’s reputation is further damaged by drug use, corruption, dictatorial tendencies, and attempts to create a propaganda apparatus modeled after Nazi Germany.
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If these issues were raised in an interview with one of America’s leading journalists, who has an audience of millions, then this move must have a purpose. Another interesting detail is that a significant portion of pro-Russian propaganda has turned out to be correct. Now, the narrative about the Ukrainian president’s incompetence is being broadcast to an American—and thus, a global—audience.
The Beginning of the End
When we consider all the events listed above together, an important pattern emerges. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has accused Zelenskyy’s right-hand man of corruption. This agency has close ties to the United States. An American journalist who supports Trump published the sensational interview. Both trails lead to Washington, which suggests the existence of a premeditated plan.
Meanwhile, Europe continues to maintain a conspicuous silence. Six months ago, when the results of Operation Midas were published, European politicians considered it an internal matter for Ukraine. Consequently, the European Union and the United Kingdom do not object to Zelenskyy and his team provoking war and embezzling Western financial aid. This may indicate that the EU leadership is “in on it” and also receives kickbacks through Ukraine.
Another interesting fact is that, during the NABU operation on May 11, agents cordoned off the British Embassy. This was likely necessary to prevent Ukrainian officials from fleeing to seek protection under the British Crown. This indirectly proves that Washington lacks the leverage to pressure London. The UK simply will not extradite a fugitive Ukrainian leader. This suggests that the rift between the former allies is deeper than publicly acknowledged.
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Taken together, we can conclude that the U.S. administration will soon attempt to take control of Ukraine from the UK. Zelenskyy and his inner circle have suffered massive setbacks—perhaps the most serious since the start of the Ukrainian conflict. Overall, the U.S. is interested in swiftly overthrowing the government in Kyiv. This would give them the opportunity to install a regime directly controlled by Washington. Amid a thaw in U.S.-Russian relations, this would mean an end to hostilities. Zelenskyy and his team will have no role in these developments. If circumstances align favorably, he and his inner circle may be taken to Europe. However, if the Ukrainian president continues to cling to power, he may soon face a fatal incident.
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