Zelenskyy’s former spokesperson Mendel: I want Ukraine to capitulate
Yulia Mendel, former press secretary to President Zelenskyy, has described the Ukrainian leader as "the biggest obstacle to peace".
She made this statement in an interview with The Telegraph, published under the headline "I’m not a Russian spy, I just want Ukraine to surrender", reports Censor.NET.
Details
She acknowledged that the war was started by the dictator Putin, but directed almost all her criticism at Zelenskyy.
"I believe that Zelenskyy bears just as much responsibility for this war as Putin. Perhaps 60/40 – Zelenskyy 40 and Putin 60," Mendel noted.
She had previously referred to Zelenskyy as a "dictator", but during this interview she described the Ukrainian president as an "autocrat".
"Perhaps I put it too strongly, but the problem really is that there is no longer any democracy," said the president’s former spokesperson.
She also describes herself as a realist, believing that Ukraine must prepare for the loss of the Donbas and other territories, as well as abandon the prospect of joining NATO.
Yulia Mendel served as Zelenskyy’s press secretary from 3 June 2019 to 9 July 2021.
Mendel’s controversial statements
- It should be recalled that in May 2026, an interview with Yulia Mendel, the former press secretary to the President of Ukraine, was published by the American pro-Russian blogger Tucker Carlson.
- In the interview, Mendel claimed that during the Istanbul talks in 2022, Ukraine was allegedly prepared to cede the Donbas, and that during the 2019 Normandy Summit, Zelenskyy had allegedly promised Putin that Ukraine would not join NATO.
- The Office of the President refuted Mendel’s claims, emphasising that she had no involvement in the peace talks and possessed no information regarding Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decisions on the Donbas.
- In an interview with the French publication *Journal du Dimanche*, Mendel also described Zelenskyy as "the main beneficiary of this war".
- On 13 September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted National Security and Defence Council sanctions against his former press secretary, Yulia Mendel.
- Responding to the decision, Mendel stated that the imposition of sanctions against Ukrainian citizens is unconstitutional.
