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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Former spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Yulia Mendel, spoke at a German Bundestag event hosted by the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), triggering outrage among deputies. Irene Mihalic, a Green party member, accused Mendel of spreading pro-Russian narratives and reminded that the Ukrainian authorities have leveled accusations of treason against her.
Welt reports this.
The appearance of Zelensky's former press secretary at an AfD event sparked sharp political reactions in Germany. Irene Mihalic, the Green party leader, said Mendel's participation speaks volumes about the ultraright party's political priorities.
According to Mihalic, Mendel translates the responsibility for the war with Russia onto Ukraine in her statements. The German deputy believes AfD uses such remarks to promote its pro-Russian stance.
The especially outraging for the politician was that such statements were voiced inside the walls of the German parliament. In her view, they offend people who have suffered from Russian aggression.
“Mendel justifies the crime while pretending that the hostage must stop resisting so that the occupation ends. Such a distortion of facts is simply repugnant and has no place in the halls of the German Bundestag,” Mihalic said.
The German deputy also recalled Mendel's previous attempt to speak before European politicians. In September, the former Zelensky spokesperson planned to participate in a similar event for Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
However, the speech did not take place at the time. According to Mihalic, the Speaker of the European Parliament canceled Mendel's entry permit at the last moment.
After Mendel's speech at the Bundestag, the Green representative raised the issue of screening guests admitted to events in the German parliament. She believes such checks should be treated with particular caution when it concerns individuals accused of treason by a friendly state.
At the same time, the provided information does not specify whether Mendel has formal procedural status as a suspect in the relevant criminal case. The accusation of treason reportedly came from a German deputy.
The Bundestag administration refused to comment on the specific circumstances of Mendel's admission to the parliament. However, its spokesperson explained the general procedure for screening visitors.
According to the administration representative, every guest receives a security check before being granted access to the Bundestag, intended to reduce security risks. At the same time, incomplete sanctions procedures in third countries are typically not taken into account during such checks.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Мендель виступила в Бундестазі на запрошення АдН: у Німеччині спалахнув скандал". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Expert.
