On May 11 (Moscow time), TASS news agency quoted Ms. Yulia Mendel, former Spokesperson of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as saying of the General had considered options related to Donbass in negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul in 2022.
Ms. Mendel made this statement in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson. According to her, the information comes from some people who participated in the Ukrainian negotiating delegation in Istanbul.
I had talked to some people who participated in the Ukrainian negotiating delegation in Istanbul in 2022. They explained in detail to me that the Ukrainian side had agreed to consider the conditions at that time," Ms. Mendel said.
According to the former spokeswoman, those she spoke to believe that Mr. Zelensky at that time wanted to use this option to end the conflict with Russia. However, Ms. Mendel did not publish further documents or independent evidence to confirm the content of this exchange.
Ms. Mendel also said that the current position of the Ukrainian President is different from the negotiation phase in 2022. According to her, Mr. Zelensky is currently declaring that Donbass cannot be ceded. This assessment was made in the context that territorial issues continue to be one of the key points that hinder negotiation efforts between the two sides.
The Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul in 2022 were once considered one of the most notable diplomatic efforts between the two sides after the conflict broke out. However, the parties did not reach a final agreement afterwards.
The Donbass issue, Ukraine's neutral status, security assurance and conditions for ending the conflict are considered to be among the contents causing major differences in the negotiation process. In later public statements, Kiev repeatedly affirmed that it would not accept ceding territory for peace.
Currently, the Ukrainian side has not given an official response to Ms. Mendel's new statement. Information related to the content of the 2022 negotiations has also not been confirmed by Kiev as she described.
