Zelensky 'willing to step down' in return for NATO accession
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is willing to resign if it would ensure lasting peace for his country. Speaking about the Russian invasion in Ukraine, he also said that he wants US President Donald Trump to be a close partner of Ukraine and not just a mediator between kyiv and Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday (23.02.2025) that he was ready to step down as president "immediately" in exchange for Ukraine joining NATO, an accession that the United States appears to oppose and in a context of growing tensions between kyiv and Donald Trump.
"If they really need me to leave my post, I'm ready," Zelensky told a news conference in Kyiv. "I can trade (the presidency) for (joining) NATO," he added.
Ukraine's president finished his term in May last year and remains in office without holding elections because Ukrainian law prohibits elections in times of war. "I am a president who was elected legally, not by force or because I seized power; 73% voted for me," Zelensky said, recalling the percentage of votes he received at the polls in 2019.
He will not sign anything that has to be paid for generations
On the possibility of reaching a deal, Kyiv said it is negotiating security guarantees with the United States in exchange for its mineral wealth. And although he has offered to discuss the possibility of the United States benefiting from 50% of Ukraine's resources, he clarifies that this will not be done at any price.
"I will not sign anything that generations and generations of Ukrainians will have to pay for," Zelensky said. The Ukrainian leader also reiterated the right of the Ukrainian side to demand its own conditions. "I only want a dialogue with President (Donald) Trump," he said.
Moscow, for its part, has announced that it will hold a meeting with US diplomats at the end of next week, following initial talks held in Saudi Arabia on February 18 following a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
"We are open to maintaining contacts with the United States, in particular on those issues that create problems in our bilateral relations. We hope that real progress will be made at the meeting scheduled for the end of next week," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the state agency TASS. The meeting will be held "at the level of heads of departments" of the foreign ministries of both countries and in a third state, he added.
Meanwhile, the battle on the front continues. Russia has launched more than 200 drones this afternoon against several regions of Ukraine, including kyiv, and claims to have captured two new towns in Donetsk.
Trump was invited to visit Ukraine and announced a summit with 37 leaders
Despite tensions with Trump, Zelensky invited him to visit Ukraine on Sunday. "I really want him to come to Ukraine," he said, while expressing his willingness to go to the United States himself if necessary.
Zelensky's proposal comes ahead of a summit in Kyiv on Monday to mark the third anniversary of the war. According to the Ukrainian president, 13 foreign leaders will be present in person in kyiv, while 24 other leaders will participate remotely. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will also attend with 24 of her commissioners.
The summit, he continued, will serve to discuss future steps towards ending the war and address possible security guarantees for Ukraine once the conflict is over. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has called for a "fair and lasting peace", is one of the leaders who has confirmed his presence at the summit.
The Ukrainian leader also announced that he is working on organizing another summit in a European capital. Although he did not specify where, he did say that it would serve to discuss security guarantees that could be offered to Ukraine once the war is over.