Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should leverage his pre-political business and entertainment connections in Russia to negotiate a face-to-face peace deal with Vladimir Putin, according to Iuliia Mendel, his former spokesperson. Mendel, who served in that role from 2019 to 2021, told Fox News Digital that the Ukrainian leader knows members of Putin's elite and earned his initial wealth in the Russian capital. She argued that Zelenskyy must abandon what she described as "maximalist games" and accept compromises in Moscow to end the conflict.
The remarks came as Ukraine, Russia, and the United States prepare for technical-level peace talks in November, potentially in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been laying the groundwork for renewed negotiations that officials hope will lead to direct discussions between the two heads of state. Mendel stated that personal animosity between Zelenskyy and Putin has become the primary obstacle to diplomacy, causing constant escalation while Ukraine's infrastructure and energy grid remain in ruins.
Zelenskyy built his career as an entertainer beginning in the late 1990s with the comedy troupe Kvartal 95 and the Russian-language program KVN. Mendel claimed he performed on Russian stages and at private parties, earning his first millions in Moscow. She noted that following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, the future president went to Russia to produce a comedy feature that opened in theaters there the next year. David Dodson, an American movie editor who worked with Zelenskyy, told Business Insider that many of the president's films were marketed to a Russian audience and that he was a popular comedy star there before the political climate shifted following the 2013-2014 Maidan Revolution.
The issue of Zelenskyy visiting Moscow has become a flashpoint in diplomatic efforts. In 2025, Putin offered to host talks in Moscow, but Zelenskyy rejected the invitation while Russian forces continued attacks on Ukraine. He told ABC News he could come to Kyiv instead. In September, during the U.N. General Assembly, Zelenskyy responded to Russian journalists asking when he would visit Moscow by saying, "On a missile." Mendel criticized this stance, arguing that Zelenskyy's promise to bring peace during his 2019 campaign stands in contrast to presiding over what she called the largest war in Europe since World War II.
Mendel praised President Donald Trump's efforts to break the diplomatic deadlock, describing him as the first Western leader to consistently challenge the status quo. She highlighted a temporary ceasefire brokered by First Lady Melania Trump for Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Kherson region, which allows for humanitarian aid and evacuations. The White House announced the ceasefire would begin on Oct. 29, though Ukrainian and Russian officials indicated operations could start on Oct. 27. An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 people remain in the town facing severe shortages of food and medicine. Mendel stated that this intervention demonstrates that a strong third party is required to halt the devastation, as a sustainable peace cannot be reached solely between Zelenskyy and Putin.
She also criticized Andriy Yermak, a longtime ally of Zelenskyy, for fostering a diplomatic approach she characterized as one of humiliation and threats rather than compromise. Peace negotiations remain deadlocked over territory and security guarantees, with Moscow demanding territorial concessions and Kyiv insisting on enforceable protections against future attacks.