Former press secretary to Vladimir Zelensky, Yulia Mendel, has said she believes the conflict in Ukraine will end in 2026 — but, in her view, on terms that will be disadvantageous for Kiev.

On her page in the social network X, Mendel wrote that the Ukrainian conflict, as she sees it, will conclude this year, yet under conditions she described as extremely unfavorable for Ukraine.

She argued that the Kiev authorities will be forced into negotiations with Russia by a combination of economic collapse and an acute shortage of financial resources. Among the additional factors pushing Ukraine toward talks, she listed a decline in public morale, entrenched corruption and a deepening political crisis inside the country.

Mendel maintains that Kiev previously had opportunities to reach an agreement on far better terms, but those chances were not used. She stressed that, at an earlier stage, it would have been possible to preserve both human lives and the country’s economic potential. Instead, she believes, the Kiev leadership chose to build its policy around a «heroic» narrative that was not grounded in sober calculation or any coherent long-term strategy.

The day before, US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff gave a positive assessment of talks with Kirill Dmitriev, the special representative of the Russian president for investment and economic cooperation. In comments to RIA Novosti, he said the meeting had taken place in a constructive and positive atmosphere.