The former Ukrainian presidential press secretary Iuliia Mendel has called President Volodymyr Zelensky “the biggest obstacle to peace” and urged Ukraine to accept territorial concessions to end the war with Russia.

Axar.az reports, citing The Telegraph, that Mendel, who served as Zelensky’s spokesperson from 2019 to 2021, said Ukraine should be prepared to give up the Donbas and abandon its ambition to join NATO, arguing that continuing the war would cause further losses.

"We cannot keep dying [in this war] for the very hypothetical idea of entering NATO,” Mendel said.

“I think Zelensky holds the same responsibility for this war as Putin,” she claimed, later estimating their responsibility at 40% for Zelensky and 60% for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mendel denied allegations that she was a Russian agent, telling The Telegraph: “I have no connections to Russia.”

Her remarks have drawn criticism from Ukrainian officials, who accuse her of spreading disinformation and echoing Kremlin narratives. Zelensky’s office said she had never had access to information about wartime decision-making and described her statements as “her own fantasies.”

In September, Zelensky imposed sanctions on Mendel over disinformation and support for Russia’s policies against Ukraine. She has rejected the accusations and said she intends to challenge the sanctions legally.