Iuliia Mendel has lately emerged as a very visible outspoken critic of Zelensky's continued rule, which has run long past his scheduled term - having been extended repeatedly during martial law due to the war with Russia. Zelensky has accused Mendel of echoing Russian propaganda and 'promoting disinformation'.

She apparently made herself a target after going on Tucker Carlson's show back in May, where she called out Zelensky, saying "there is no democracy in Ukraine now."

According to an introductory segment of the conversation with Carlson:

During the conversation, Mendel stated that "the only way to support Ukraine today is to push it toward a peace agreement." At the same time, she called Vladimir Putin "evil" but also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being "evil." According to her, Zelenskyy allegedly "plays a teddy bear for the camera," but "turns into a grizzly bear when the lights go out" and "destroys people."

She also had called Zelensky "a dictator" and "the greatest obstacle to peace" in Ukraine - and sought to detail instances where he listened to Western hawks over some of his own officials and derailed a path to peace.

Mendel was the president's press secretary from 2019 to 2021. She was there from the start when Zelensky took office in May 2019.

Russian state media has seized on the headline, detailing that the new sanctions decree "slapped Mendel with personal restrictions including an asset freeze, a ban on transferring capital abroad, and other financial and commercial measures set to last ten years."

"Mendel will also be stripped of state honors indefinitely and have her social media accounts restricted inside Ukraine," the report adds. 

She has since stated: "Sanctions against Ukrainian citizens are unconstitutional, just like many of Zelensky's other decisions. Volodymyr Zelensky uses them against anyone who advocates for peace in Ukraine. I knew that 'high treason' charges were being prepared over my interview with Tucker Carlson."

The development comes amid another unfolding situation impacting top Ukrainian national offices:

Ruslan Kravchenko left Ukraine days after resigning amid a corruption investigation involving officials in his office, as a major confrontation unfolds between the country's prosecutors and independent anti-corruption agencies.