Ukraine’s Zelensky ready to ‘step down’ for peace or NATO membership
February 23, 2025 09:21 pm
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he was willing to give up his position if it meant peace in Ukraine, quipping that he could exchange his departure for Ukraine’s entry into NATO.
Zelenskiy also said he wanted to see U.S. President Donald Trump as a partner to Ukraine and more than a simply a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow.
“I really want it to be more than just mediation... that’s not enough,” he told a press conference in Kyiv.
Zelensky said at the Ukraine: Year 2025 forum on Sunday that he would be prepared to resign if it meant the war in the country would end or if that was the condition for NATO to accept Ukraine as a member.
“Yes, I am happy, if it is for the peace of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in response to a question on whether he would be willing to give up the presidency “Or trade it for NATO,” he added, stressing that Kiev needs security guarantees to be in the strongest possible position during potential peace talks with Russia, claiming NATO membership would be the “cheapest option.”
The remarks come after United States President Donald Trump branded Zelensky a “dictator without elections.” Ukraine has not held elections since the start of the war as its legislation bans elections during martial law.
--Agencies
