A frustration potential is a sum of interactions the terms of which are not simultaneously minimized even in the ground-state spin configurations. Ising models with such potentials can be discussed by the use of contours. The Peierls condition for the phase transition can be properly generalized, taking into account the presence of zero-energy contours. Frustration has some special features in two dimensions, which we study in detail. The connection with models of spin-glasses is discussed.