Zelenskyy's former spokeswoman claims he was ready to hand over Donbas in 2022: President's Office responds that she has "long been out of her mind"

Yuliia Mendel, former spokeswoman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has claimed that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was ready to hand over Donbas to Russia in 2022 in order to end the war. The President's Office rejected this information, pointing to the former spokeswoman's complete lack of involvement in the negotiations and expressing doubts about the adequacy of her mental state.

Source: Mendel's interview with controversial American journalist Tucker Carlson; comment from the President's Office

Details: According to Mendel, the Ukrainian delegation at the Istanbul talks in spring 2022 was allegedly ready to agree to all of Russia's demands in order to end the war. The former spokeswoman provided no evidence, citing exclusively conversations with unnamed individuals who allegedly directly represented Ukraine in Istanbul.

Quote: "I was talking to people who represented Ukraine at the negotiations in Istanbul in 2022. And I was explained in detail that they agreed to everything. And furthermore, which is very important, they said that Zelenskyy personally agreed to give away Donbas."

Details: The President's Office categorically rejected the words of the former subordinate. It stressed that Mendel had no access to state decision-making and was not involved in the negotiating process. The President's Office also directly questioned the adequacy of her statements.

"This lady did not participate in the negotiations, did not participate in decision-making, has long been out of her mind, and commenting on who told her what and whether it actually happened is not serious," the President's Office told journalists.

It is notable that Mendel chose Tucker Carlson as the platform for these accusations – a journalist known for his systematic anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, justification of Russian aggression and sharp criticism of military aid to Ukraine. Carlson has visited Russia on numerous occasions, where he conducted a large complimentary interview with Vladimir Putin and with the ideologist of the "Russian world" Aleksandr Dugin. [The "Russian world" is the general idea of the superiority of Russian Orthodoxy, culture, language, etc., widely promoted by pro-Kremlin figures – ed.]

This is not the first dubious statement from Zelenskyy's former spokeswoman. Mendel previously claimed that former head of the President's Office Andrii Yermak practises magic – specifically cemetery visits and "dead water". She also called Yermak "a very dangerous person" and stated that she fears for her life. At the same time, she limited herself to vague phrases, citing "her experience" and "connections" without providing any details to support her words.

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