{"id":1425682,"date":"2026-08-08T14:36:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/radio-liberty-paid-posts-from-mendels-list-discussed-the-minsk-agreements-and-criticized-poroshenko\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:36:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:36:32","slug":"radio-liberty-paid-posts-from-mendels-list-discussed-the-minsk-agreements-and-criticized-poroshenko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/radio-liberty-paid-posts-from-mendels-list-discussed-the-minsk-agreements-and-criticized-poroshenko\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio Liberty: Paid posts from Mendel’s list discussed the Minsk agreements and criticized Poroshenko"},"content":{"rendered":"

The posts by bloggers and Telegram channels featured in the screenshots by former presidential press secretary Yulia Mendel mostly concerned the Minsk agreements and contained criticism of former president Petro Poroshenko. Mendel published the tables on August 3, calling them proof that the authors in question worked for the government for a fee.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is reported by Radio Liberty<\/a> .<\/p>\n

Most Facebook posts from the list repeated similar theses: the authors positively assessed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s policy towards Donbas, in particular the ceasefire that has been in effect since July 27, 2020, and the reduction in shelling and casualties.<\/p>\n

The authors claimed that Ukraine was fulfilling the agreements, while Russia was hindering the negotiations, and the extension of the law on the special status of Donbas was presented as a condition for peace talks and the maintenance of sanctions against Russia. Some of the posts criticized Petro Poroshenko and the opposition, recalling that the Minsk agreements were signed during his presidency.<\/p>\n

All six Telegram channels on the list published posts on December 9, 2020, and five of the six \u2014 within 48 minutes, between 14:28 and 15:16. All of these posts were devoted exclusively to the Minsk agreements and contained sharp criticism of Poroshenko: none of them spoke about the achievements of the current government. Common to all texts was the idea that the ex-president himself signed agreements that were disadvantageous for Ukraine, but now criticizes Zelensky for trying to implement them.<\/p>\n

Analyst and founder of the public organization “Ukrmedia” Oleg Cheslavsky noted that Telegram channels acted more aggressively than Facebook accounts.<\/p>\n

“Facebook legitimizes. There are experts, there are arguments, there are military aid figures and references to international obligations. Telegram attacks. In six channels there is not a single good word about the achievements of power, there is only Poroshenko and Minsk,” wrote Oleg Cheslavsky.<\/p>\n

In his opinion, the anniversary of the Normandy Four leaders’ meeting in Paris, which took place on December 9, 2020, could only have been a pretext for a wave of posts. The goal could have been to prepare public reaction to the vote on extending the law on the special status of Donbas and to explain that this is a continuation of the policy initiated under Poroshenko.<\/p>\n

Yulia Mendel published screenshots of tables that she said were reports by Daria Zarivna, then a freelance advisor to the head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, regarding bloggers who were reproducing government messages. She called this evidence that the authors in question work for the government and their posts are paid for.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that Mendel’s statements contain manipulation and disinformation that do not reflect the real situation in Ukraine and contradict the interests of the state. MFA spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi called on journalists to exercise maximum vigilance and not perceive Mendel’s statements as a reliable source of information.<\/p>\n

Who made the list?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The table includes 14 Facebook accounts, including Kyiv National University lecturers Petro Oleschuk and Igor Petrenko, as well as six Telegram channels:<\/p>\n