Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday that he is “ready” to resign as leader if it would bring peace to his country, hinting at the possibility of exchanging his leadership for NATO membership.
According to CNN, when asked at a press conference if he was prepared to step down to ensure peace for Ukraine, Zelensky responded: “If [it guarantees] peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to resign, I am ready. I can exchange it for NATO.”
Zelensky’s statement comes amid ongoing tensions and conflict in Ukraine, which have persisted since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.
Zelensky has previously mentioned that the country’s army would need to double in size if NATO were to deny its membership to the alliance.
Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remarked that Kyiv’s accession to NATO was unrealistic.
The spat between Zelensky and Trump escalated when Trump appeared to accuse Ukraine of starting the war and called Zelensky a “dictator” for canceling an election due to the conflict.
Trump also called for Putin and Zelensky to “get together” to find a way to end the war.
Zelensky, in turn, emphasized the need for concrete security guarantees from Trump to help Ukraine defend itself.
