The Presidential Office has responded to Yulia Mendel's controversial interview
Yulia Mendel, the former press secretary to the President of Ukraine, gave a high-profile interview to American journalist Tucker Carlson, during which she made a series of sensational statements regarding the war and the negotiation process.
This was reported with reference to Carlson’s video.
Following this, the Office of the President responded to Mendel’s remarks, emphasizing that she did not participate in the negotiations in Istanbul and was not involved in decision-making on key issues of state policy.
An adviser to the Office of the President noted that her statements do not correspond to the actual negotiation process, and that Mendel herself has not worked on the head of state’s team for a long time.
The interview sparked widespread discussion on social media and in political circles due to the former spokesperson’s statements regarding the events surrounding the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
What Mendel said in the interview
Mendel claimed that Ukraine is allegedly “on the verge of disappearing” and “declining,” and also asserted that there are manifestations of “unhealthy nationalism” in the country. She added that in 2022, during negotiations with Russia, Ukraine was allegedly ready to cede the Donbas.
At the end of the interview, Mendel switched to Russian and, in tears, appealed to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, stating that she is not his political opponent and poses no threat to him. She described Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine with the phrase: “Slavs are killing Slavs.”
Mendel also spoke about the Russian occupiers’ drone attacks on civilians in her native Kherson region. “There must be limits to humanity! One decree from you can stop this,” she appealed to Putin.
Statement from the Office of the President
Dmytro Lytvyn, the Ukrainian President’s Advisor on Communications, commented on the interview. “This woman did not participate in the negotiations, did not participate in decision-making, has long been out of her mind, and as for who is telling her things there and whether it actually happened—it’s not worth commenting on,” he told reporters.
Reaction from the Center for Countering Disinformation
At the same time, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation emphasized: “Anyone (I’m referring to Mendel) can voice conspiracy theories in their own interest about ‘giving up Donbas in 2022,’ citing some sources. But the fact remains—Ukraine has been fighting for its territory since 2014. The question of abandoning territories has never been on the table and never will be. In 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine actively fought the enemy in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions during the battles for Kyiv and after the defeat of Russian troops in the Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions. And they continue to fight now. There are facts, and there are words.”
What is known about Carlson
In February 2024, Carlson interviewed Putin, which was more like him simply listening on camera to the Russian dictator’s monologue about his personal views on the history of Ukraine.
The American host also spoke with Lavrov to present the “Russian perspective” on the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine since February 2022. Carlson then criticized the Biden administration’s policy on the war, stating that it was “bringing the U.S. closer and closer to a nuclear conflict with Russia,” echoing the Kremlin’s narratives.
In particular, Carlson made a statement in the spirit of Kremlin propaganda. He predicted that Ukraine would allegedly “cease to exist in 50 years.”
Zelenskyy’s formerpress secretary spoke about agreeing to cede Donbas to Russia; the Office of the President responded.
On the eve of May 9, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he does not recommend visiting Moscow during the parade events. The president also reported strikes on a number of Russian military and infrastructure targets. In his statement, he sharply criticized the rhetoric of the Russian leadership and warned of potential risks.
The Russian Presidential Administration has prepared a plan for an information campaign in the event of a peace agreement with Ukraine.
