diff --git a/doc/api/openapi/openapi_v2.yaml b/doc/api/openapi/openapi_v2.yaml
index fe9c9c3fdbe8d75e6d72ed01f8a40e7287c2b835..39d8f827fc37b8ed2c325eff76870be06a6c8c7d 100644
--- a/doc/api/openapi/openapi_v2.yaml
+++ b/doc/api/openapi/openapi_v2.yaml
@@ -61723,6 +61723,9 @@ definitions:
       sha:
         type: string
         description: When present, must have the HEAD SHA of the source branch
+      publish_review:
+        type: boolean
+        description: When `true` submits pending review comments
       approval_password:
         type: string
         description: Current user's password if project is set to require explicit
diff --git a/lib/api/merge_request_approvals.rb b/lib/api/merge_request_approvals.rb
index 684e2a53b5276ffa01d6d61e6a5b0144fbd5f501..5c0ac409bda852a1e48baf1ad7cacc9f00268965 100644
--- a/lib/api/merge_request_approvals.rb
+++ b/lib/api/merge_request_approvals.rb
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ def present_approval(merge_request)
         end
         params do
           optional :sha, type: String, desc: 'When present, must have the HEAD SHA of the source branch'
+          optional :publish_review, type: Boolean, desc: 'When `true` submits pending review comments'
 
           use :ee_approval_params
         end
@@ -60,6 +61,12 @@ def present_approval(merge_request)
 
           check_sha_param!(params, merge_request)
 
+          if params[:publish_review]
+            result = ::DraftNotes::PublishService.new(merge_request, current_user).execute
+
+            render_api_error('Failed to publish review', 500) unless result[:status] == :success
+          end
+
           success =
             ::MergeRequests::ApprovalService
               .new(project: user_project, current_user: current_user, params: params)
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/merge_request_approvals_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/merge_request_approvals_spec.rb
index c003736b9366baa85a305b292b9406a7101bf61e..d1738780d9308b0a5d9de27fb7bc6147594fdc0b 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/merge_request_approvals_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/merge_request_approvals_spec.rb
@@ -42,6 +42,50 @@ def approve(extra_params = {})
         post api("/projects/#{project.id}/merge_requests/#{merge_request.iid}/approve", approver), params: extra_params
       end
 
+      context 'when the publish_review param is not set' do
+        it 'approves the merge request' do
+          expect(DraftNotes::PublishService).not_to receive(:new)
+
+          approve
+
+          expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:created)
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when the publish_review param is false' do
+        it 'approves the merge request' do
+          expect(DraftNotes::PublishService).not_to receive(:new)
+
+          approve(publish_review: false)
+
+          expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:created)
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when the publish_review param is true' do
+        it 'approves the merge request' do
+          expect_next_instance_of(::DraftNotes::PublishService) do |service|
+            expect(service).to receive(:execute).and_call_original
+          end
+
+          approve(publish_review: true)
+
+          expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:created)
+        end
+
+        context 'when publish service returns an error' do
+          it 'returns an error and does not approve the merge request' do
+            expect_next_instance_of(::DraftNotes::PublishService) do |service|
+              expect(service).to receive(:execute).and_return(ServiceResponse.error(message: 'Error'))
+            end
+
+            approve(publish_review: true)
+
+            expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:internal_server_error)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
       context 'when the sha param is not set' do
         it 'approves the merge request' do
           approve