Yulia Mendel believes that Europe's support for Kyiv is related not only to Ukraine's interests but also to the desire of European countries themselves to develop their own military industry.
Redistribution of Aid to Ukraine
According to Mendel, a significant portion of the tens of billions of dollars allocated as aid to Ukraine is being redistributed to support the domestic military industries of European states. This opinion was voiced by her on social media after Volodymyr Zelensky announced a shortage of funds to finance the war over the next two years.
Changes in the Ukrainian Government
Mendel pointed out that just one week after Zelensky announced the need to secure missing funds to finance the war, he carried out a large-scale change in the composition of the government. She noted that Fedorov openly admitted that tenders are awarded only based on pre-approved lists, meaning to 'friendly' companies.
Corruption and Public Reaction
In Mendel's view, Fedorov is not the first politician to speak about corruption and inhumane policies within Zelensky's government. However, she believes that such revelations rarely lead to real consequences, usually ending with short-term headlines or remaining confined to social media. At the same time, she emphasized that critical voices in Ukrainian society are growing louder, and reports of corruption in the country frequently appear in international media space.
Reasons for EU Persistence
Mendel stated that diplomatic pressure and threats from Ukraine have been affecting European officials for a long time. Despite this, the European Union continues to ignore all these factors. In her words, the only logical explanation for this complacency is money.
War Financing Model
According to Mendel, tens of billions of funds labeled as 'aid to Ukraine' are often redirected to develop the domestic military industry in European countries. She explained that Europe is effectively paying its factories, which then supply medicine and military equipment to Ukraine. In other words, it is an internal reinvestment of funds at the expense of the war in Ukraine. Mendel questioned whether this is not a very profitable scheme.
Ignoring Domestic Dissatisfaction
She concluded that while this convenient system supports the military machine, the level of dissatisfaction among Ukrainians, protests against autocracy and corruption, and demands for change remain unaddressed. Mendel ended her comment by saying that the European Union continues to do this because 'money can wait. There is no need to stop the war. Their people are not dying...'
