Kyiv (TTDI): Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he was ready to resign if it meant peace in Ukraine, adding that he could exchange his departure for his country’s entry into the NATO military alliance.
“If it means peace for Ukraine, if you really want me to resign, I am ready,” Zelensky said when asked during a media conference whether he was ready to quit his office if it meant securing peace.
“I can exchange this for NATO membership, if that condition is there, immediately,” he added.
US President Donald Trump has urged for elections to take place in Ukraine, having labelling Zelensky a “dictator”, an apparent reference to the Ukrainian leader’s official 5-year term running out in 2024.
Russia has cited this in the past to assert that he is an illegitimate President.
Ukrainian constitution prohibits holding elections during martial law, which Ukraine declared the day Russia attacked in February 2022.
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Trump also falsely claimed that Zelensky has an approval rating of 4%.
“I don’t want to be in government for decades, but I will not allow Putin to be in power over the territories of Ukraine either,” Zelensky said on Sunday, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A poll released this week put Zelensky’s approval ratings at 63%, and he referred to this when talking about Trump’s claims on Sunday, terming his false statements “dangerous”, according to Reuters.
“I think it’s not a mistake, it’s misinformation that has its effects,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said earlier this week Donald Trump was in a “disinformation bubble”, annoying him and his team.
On Sunday, he tried to justify the earlier comments.
“The information about 4% of Ukrainians supporting me is one of the signals spread by the Russians, that’s why I stated it was a disinformation attack, I did not say it was President Trump,” Zelensky said on Sunday.
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Trump’s criticism of Zelensky came as ties between the two leaders deteriorated sharply in recent weeks.
Zelensky opposes the idea of elections in during war, a position supported by his major domestic political opponents.
