Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he is willing to step down from office in exchange for NATO membership and peace in his country. He has also pushed back against US demands for critical minerals and other natural resources from Ukraine as part of efforts to end the war.
In response to a question regarding his readiness to resign if it would guarantee peace in Ukraine during a press conference on Sunday, he said: “If (it guarantees) peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to resign, I am ready. I can exchange it for NATO.”
The alliance’s stated policy that Ukraine was on an “irreversible path” to membership was upset earlier this month when US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared that Kyiv’s membership in NATO was absurd.
The Ukrainian president’s statements are made in the context of an ongoing dispute with US President Donald Trump, who has referred to Zelensky as a “dictator” for failing to conduct elections while Ukraine is embroiled in a war.
Since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine three years ago, the country has been under martial law. Under martial law, voting is not allowed.
Zelensky also resisted Trump’s demand for a $500 billion share of Ukraine’s rare earth and other mineral deposits as part of a draft “deal” that Trump claimed would account for the amount of aid the US gave to Ukraine during its war with Russia.
Zelensky mentioned that using Ukraine’s resources to pay off the amount could take 250 years, and he pointed out that he couldn’t agree to anything that would burden “ten generations of Ukrainians” with debt.
The US really had Ukraine’s back during the Biden administration, giving them thousands of military aid worth billions. Trump’s been pretty vocal about his stance on US aid to Ukraine, saying he believes they shouldn’t be sending support without getting something back.
Ukraine wants US security guarantees in mineral deals.
