The former spokesperson for President Zelensky claims that Ukraine was ready to give up Donbas in 2022. The presidential office denies the allegations.

Iuliia Mendel, former spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated in an interview that Ukraine was willing to cede the Donbas region during peace negotiations with Russia in 2022. According to her, the Ukrainian delegation at the Istanbul negotiations would have agreed to Russia's demands, and Zelensky would have personally accepted the cession of Donbas.

The presidential office of Ukraine rejected these claims, stating that Mendel had no role in the negotiations and had lost touch with reality. These statements come in a context where control over Donbas remains a major obstacle in the peace process, with Russia demanding the cession of regions controlled by Ukraine.

Although the peace talks in 2022 included proposals for neutrality from Ukraine, they failed, and fighting continued. Mendel has also made controversial accusations against Ukrainian officials in the past, which sparked further controversy.