Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is ready to resign as Ukraine’s president in exchange for Nato membership, declaring he would step down “immediately” if it guaranteed the country’s security. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said, “If there is peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, I am ready. I can exchange it for Nato.”
His comments come as Ukraine marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion and faces growing pressure over negotiations with the United States.
Speaking about Trump calling a ‘dictator’ Zelenskyy said that only a true authoritarian would be offended it. Zelenskyy added that as a legally elected leader, he was not offended, noting, “One would be offended by the word dictator if he was a dictator. I’m not.”
Zelensky also expressed the desire for a meeting with Trump to discuss an agreement granting Washington access to Ukrainian natural resources before Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He stressed the importance of Trump providing security guarantees to help Ukraine defend itself from the Russian invasion.
Zelenskyy’s remarks follow mounting tensions with the US over a proposed mineral resources deal. Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff suggested on Sunday that Ukraine could sign the agreement with Washington this week as part of efforts to end the war. “I expect to see a deal signed this week,” Witkoff told CNN, adding that Trump had pressured Zelenskyy to move forward with the agreement. However, a source close to the negotiations told AFP that Ukraine was “not ready” to accept the current terms, insisting that security guarantees must be included.
The proposed deal has become a major sticking point in relations between Kyiv and Washington, with Trump demanding Ukraine provide rare earth minerals and oil as compensation for US aid. The president told supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), “I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up. We’re asking for rare earth and oil, anything we can get.” Trump has claimed that the US aid to Ukraine exceeds $500 billion, though official figures put the total at around $60 billion.
A deepening war of words between Trump and Zelenskyy has raised concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Trump recently branded the Ukrainian leader a “dictator” and urged him to “move fast” to end the war. The tensions escalated after US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia without Ukrainian representatives. Meanwhile, Washington has proposed a United Nations resolution on the Ukraine conflict that notably excludes references to Russian-occupied territories.
Ukraine has resisted Trump’s demands, with reports describing the proposed agreement as one-sided. “There are no American obligations in the agreement regarding guarantees or investments. Everything about them is very vague, and they want to extract $500 billion from us,” a Ukrainian official told AFP. Kyiv has reportedly pushed for amendments to secure clearer commitments.
Despite the tensions, discussions over the deal remain ongoing. Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg, who met Zelenskyy in Kyiv, described the talks as “critical” and suggested the Ukrainian president understood the importance of reaching an agreement. However, Kyiv remains firm in seeking security assurances as a condition for any deal.
