Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that he would resign immediately if Ukraine were granted NATO membership. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, Zelensky stated, 'If my presidency's cessation brings peace to Ukraine and requires my resignation, I am prepared for it. I am ready to step down in exchange for Ukraine's NATO membership.' He also affirmed a willingness to immediately relinquish his position if necessary.
Additionally, Zelensky appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump for a comprehensive understanding of Ukraine's situation and the provision of robust security guarantees to uphold Ukraine's right to self-defense against Russian aggression. Zelensky expressed his wish for Trump to be seen as a Ukraine ally and mediator between Kyiv and Moscow. According to a Reuters report, the Ukrainian president remarked during the press conference, 'I am keen to gain a deeper understanding from Trump about each other. We greatly need security guarantees from America.'
Marking Three Years of the Russia-Ukraine War
On the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's attack on Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that his country and the Trump administration were close to an agreement to provide Ukraine with security assistance in exchange for access to its natural resources. Russia launched an attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the war has continued since then. Last year, Donald Trump expressed his intention to mediate a peace deal citing heavy losses in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The U.S. President accused Zelensky of instigating the war with Russia. In return, Zelensky publicly criticized Trump. Amidst all this, the Ukrainian President alleged that Trump was influenced by misinformation. Zelensky dismissed a recent U.S.-Russia dialogue outcome in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh aimed at jointly ending the Ukraine-Russia war, insisting that no peace talks would occur behind Kyiv's back.
On February 12, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation discussing the mending of U.S.-Russia bilateral relations and seeking solutions to the Ukraine war. As part of diplomatic efforts, officials from both countries planned further discussions on resolving the war in a meeting scheduled for February 18 in Riyadh. This meeting included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
