Former Press Secretary to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Iuliia Mendel joins Zerlina on the show to discuss her new book 'THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Battle for Democracy, and What It Means for the World,' out now! When Ukrainian journalist Iuliia Mendel got the call that she had been hired to work for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she had no idea what was to come. As a young, female journalist now thrust into a high-profile job on the international stage, Mendel had a front row seat to history. In THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES (on sale 9/13/22; One Signal/Atria; ISBN# 9781668012710; $27.99) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former press secretary Iuliia Mendel shares her first-person account from the ground in Ukraine during Russia’s invasion, and details from her front row seat to many of the key events preceding the 2022 Russian invasion. From attending meetings between Zelenskyy and Putin and other European leaders, visiting the front lines in Donbas, to fielding press inquiries after the infamous phone calls between Donald Trump and Zelenskyy that led to Trump's first impeachment. Mendel saw firsthand Zelenskyy’s efforts to transform his country from a poor, backward Soviet state into a vibrant, prosperous European democracy. Mendel sheds light on the massive economic problems facing Ukraine and the entrenched corrupt oligarchs in league with Russia. She witnessed the Kremlin’s repeated attacks to discredit Zelenskyy through disinformation and an army of bots and trolls. Woven into her account are details about her own life as a millennial in Zelenskyy’s new Ukraine. Written with the sound of Russian bombs and exploding shells in the background, Mendel details life lived under Russian siege in 2022. She says goodbye to her fiancé who joins the front lines, like so many other Ukrainian men. Throughout this story of Zelenskyy, Ukraine, and its extraordinary people, Iuliia Mendel reminds us of the paramount importance of truth and human values, especially in these darkest of times. Mendel spent two years working closely with the president as his trusted spokesperson and press secretary, and she brings that unique experience to her take on the present crisis. At 35, Mendel is part of a new generation that grew up fully Ukrainian, a generation that now longs for freedom from Russian intervention, entrenched Russian-aligned power in Ukraine, and the vibrant promise of European-style democracy. Iuliia Mendel is a Ukrainian journalist, who served as press secretary and spokesperson for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, from 2019 until 2021. Mendel has more than fourteen years of journalism experience on TV and in print media and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Washington Post, VICE, Politico Europe, and many more.