Ukrainian Ambassador outraged by Slovak Minister's statements about Zelenskyy's drug use

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Slovakia expressed outrage over statements made by Slovak Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč, who called for the resignation of the Ukrainian President following remarks by former spokesperson Yuliia Mendel regarding Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s alleged drug use.

He wrote about this on Facebook.

Slovak Minister Richard Takáč, who is also deputy chairman of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s ruling Smer party, stated: “Zelenskyy is facing a massive scandal. What his former spokesperson said, in my opinion, is grounds for immediate resignation. Rumors have been circulating for a long time that Zelenskyy is a drug user, but now this has been confirmed.”

He cited an interview given by Yuliia Mendel, Zelenskyy’s former spokesperson, to American host Tucker Carlson, in which she claimed that in 2021 she saw the Ukrainian President using drugs. She added that she witnessed a discussion involving Zelenskyy regarding payments to Ukrainian ministers in addition to their official salaries.

“While citizens in Europe are tightening their belts, billions are flowing into a system riddled with question marks,” Takáč added in reference to European support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Bratislava, Myroslav Kastran, called the Slovak Minister’s statements “yet another absurd remark” that poses a threat to Ukrainian-Slovak relations.

"Those relations, the successful development of which the Ukrainian President and the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico, agreed to work on when they met recently in Yerevan.

It is evident that the agricultural sector and rural development occupy a significant portion of the Minister’s busy schedule. Therefore, he may have overlooked this meeting and the agreements reached, allowing himself to act in a manner unbecoming of a public official of his rank and jeopardizing the agreements of his immediate superior,” the Ambassador stated.

Kastran emphasized that such rhetoric is harmful to both national interests and Slovakia itself. He called on the Slovak minister to take a more responsible approach to “false and dubious statements” made in the public sphere by any individuals.

"Especially those whose statements harm, first and foremost, their own country. Not to mention the blatant and obvious pandering to the aggressor country," he added.

It should be noted that Mendel gave the interview to Tucker Carlson—an American journalist known for his pro-russian sympathies and for spreading conspiracy theories. Carlson had also previously made provocative remarks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a “dictator” and a “lackey.” Additionally, the American journalist has publicly claimed that Jews are to blame for the war.

In an interview, former presidential press secretary Yuliia Mendel claimed that during the negotiations in Istanbul in the spring of 2022, the Ukrainian delegation was allegedly ready to accept all of the russian side’s demands. In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, she claimed that Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally agreed to territorial concessions regarding the Donbas in order to end the war.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that his country supports Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and is ready to provide assistance.