Yuliia Mendel in Berlin: under Zelensky peace is not possible
At an AfD event in the Bundestag Mendel said she does not believe Zelensky wants peace and advocated for a neutral Ukraine.
Berlin, November 5, 2026 — Former presidential spokesperson Yuliia Mendel told an AfD event in the German Bundestag that, in her view, peace under President Volodymyr Zelensky is not possible and called for a neutral Ukraine.
Mendel, who has become one of Zelensky's sharpest critics, said she does not believe the Ukrainian president wants peace and argued that Ukraine has reached a point where a bad peace would be preferable to an ongoing war because it would at least leave the country a chance to survive as an independent state.
At the same discussion AfD leader Tino Chrupalla said: "Russia attacked Ukraine, nobody here denies that. But if we want to end this war, we must talk to all parties involved." He added that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz should pick up the phone and speak with Russia.
Event title and diplomatic protest
The discussion carried the title "Switzerland in the East — a vision for a peaceful Ukraine." AfD invited Ukraine's ambassador, Oleksii Makeiev, to the event; he declined to take part and wrote on platform X: "By 'Switzerland in the East' AfD probably means Saxon Switzerland? Ukraine will be neither neutral toward war crimes nor helpless. I will not participate."
In recent days AfD foreign-policy experts published a paper proposing a neutral Ukraine that would not join NATO or the European Union — a stance that mirrors Mendel's remarks at the Bundestag meeting.
Accusations by Kyiv's security service
Ukrainian authorities have accused Mendel of treason. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which reports to the president, said she is conducting "informational and sabotage activities against Ukraine." According to the statement, Mendel's public comments aim to create the impression internationally that Ukraine does not deserve continued support and that Ukrainian leadership is an obstacle to peace.
Mendel previously worked as a journalist, including for The New York Times, and served as Zelensky's spokesperson from 2019 to 2021. She now frequently accuses the president and his circle of needlessly prolonging the war for personal enrichment.
Photo: press material from the event
