Ex-Zelensky Spokeswoman Claims Kyiv Was Ready to ‘Give Up Donbas’ in 2022 Talks – Presidential Office Fires Back

Yuliia Mendel claimed in an interview with Tucker Carlson that Ukraine was ready to concede Donbas during 2022 peace talks with Russia. Ukraine’s Presidential Office dismissed the allegations as baseless, stressing Mendel had no involvement in negotiations or state decision-making. Make us preferred on Google Flip Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Yuliia Mendel speaking in an interview with Tucker Carlson (Tucker Carlson / X) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Former Ukrainian presidential spokeswoman Yuliia Mendel has claimed that President Volodymyr Zelensky was prepared to hand over Donbas to Russia during peace negotiations in 2022 – allegations the Presidential Office swiftly dismissed as baseless and detached from reality. Mendel made the remarks in an interview with controversial American commentator Tucker Carlson, a frequent critic of Ukraine and Western military aid who has repeatedly amplified Kremlin narratives. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . According to Mendel, members of Ukraine’s delegation at the Istanbul talks in spring 2022 allegedly agreed to nearly all Russian demands in an effort to stop the war. “I spoke with people who represented Ukraine at the Istanbul negotiations in 2022,” Mendel said. “And they explained to me in detail that they agreed to everything. Moreover – and this is very important – they said that Zelensky personally agreed to give up Donbas.” Mendel offered no evidence to support the claims and did not identify any of the alleged sources she referenced. Corruption, drugs and greed: Volodymyr Zelensky’s longtime press secretary on the secret world of the West’s favorite dictator. 0:00 How Did Mendel Begin Working for Zelensky? 11:29 Why Hasn’t US Media Covered Zelensky’s Scandals? 25:30 Zelensky’s Relationship With Joe Biden… pic.twitter.com/U4fW5DkAVc Ukraine’s Presidential Office rejected the allegations outright, stressing that Mendel had no role in the negotiations or access to high-level state decision-making. “This lady did not participate in the negotiations, did not take part in decision-making, has long lost touch with reality, and who supposedly tells her these things – or whether any of it happened at all – is not something serious to comment on,” a Presidential Office source told journalists. Other Topics of Interest ‘We Pushed Him a Little’: Zelensky Says Putin Shows Readiness for Negotiations President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine “pushed” Vladimir Putin toward readiness for negotiations, though Russia continues intense frontline attacks. Kyiv is seeking a concrete format for talks while preparing a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange with US mediation. Zelensky warned that if Moscow resumes large-scale strikes, Ukraine will respond immediately, saying that any negotiations must deliver lasting security guarantees. The comments come as Russia continues to push narratives portraying Ukraine as willing to concede occupied territory while simultaneously demanding Kyiv abandon its NATO ambitions and recognize Moscow’s claims over annexed regions. The platform Mendel chose for the interview also drew attention in Kyiv. Tucker Carlson has become one of the most prominent American voices echoing Kremlin talking points since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Earlier this year, Carlson traveled to Russia to conduct a widely criticized interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin , followed by another interview with ultranationalist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin. Mendel, who served as Zelensky’s press secretary from 2019 to 2021, has previously made a series of controversial allegations against senior Ukrainian officials. In past interviews, she accused Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak of engaging in “ magic rituals ” involving cemeteries and “dead water,” while claiming she feared for her life because of him – again without providing evidence. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.