Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is raising alarms over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest crackdown on opposition. She pointed to his decision to outlaw yet another political party that questioned his leadership — as well as the state seizure of assets belonging to its members.

According to Gabbard, this is only the latest in a series of moves Zelensky has made to eliminate dissent. She noted that back in 2022, he began shutting down rival parties, banning media outlets tied to his opponents, and taking full government control of Ukraine’s largest television networks. She emphasized that these actions were all justified under martial law — which he used as a pretext to cancel elections and extend his presidency past its official end date of May 20.

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Supporters of Zelensky argue that elections cannot take place while Ukraine is engaged in war. Gabbard dismissed that reasoning as dangerous — warning that if such a standard were accepted, American politicians and media figures could use similar logic to justify suspending the U.S. Constitution. She pointed out that the U.S. is already involved in conflicts with Russia and China, meaning the precedent set by Ukraine could be easily exploited at home.

She tied this warning to recent domestic events — arguing that political suppression is already underway in the U.S. Gabbard pointed to the Department of Justice’s legal actions against President Donald Trump and other political opponents — suggesting that the government is being used as a weapon to silence dissent.

Gabbard’s remarks come as Ukraine continues to receive billions in U.S. taxpayer dollars while tightening its grip on political speech and opposition. She warned that ignoring the suppression of democracy abroad could pave the way for similar tactics to be used within the U.S.