Zelenskiy says he is willing to give his position for peace

24/2/2025 6:06

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.



"If (it means) peace for Ukraine, if you really need me

to leave my post, I am ready," an irritated-looking Zelenskiy

said when asked during a press conference whether he was ready

to leave his post if it meant securing peace.



"I can exchange this for NATO (membership), if that

condition is there, immediately," the president added.



U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed for elections to

take place in Ukraine, having branded Zelenskiy a "dictator", an

apparent reference to the Ukrainian leader's official five-year

term running out in 2024.



Trump's criticism of Zelenskiy came as relations between

the two leaders deteriorated sharply in recent weeks.



Zelenskiy has opposed the idea of elections during a

full-scale war, a position supported by his major domestic

political opponents.



The Ukrainian president also said he wanted to see 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.