Zelensky offers to step down in exchange for peace, NATO membership
By Rob Harris
London: Volodymyr Zelensky says he is prepared to give up being Ukraine’s president “immediately” in return for peace with Russia or in exchange for membership of the NATO military alliance.
Speaking on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of his country, Zelensky also said he hoped for a closer partnership with US President Donald Trump, beyond him merely serving as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his press conference, in Kyiv on Sunday.Credit: AP
His comments came after Trump claimed the Ukrainian was a “dictator” for not holding elections at a time the country is under martial law because of the war.
“Should stepping down bring peace to Ukraine and if it is truly necessary for me to leave, I am prepared to do so. I’d trade my position for NATO membership,” Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv on Sunday.
“If such an opportunity arises, I will step down immediately. I am focusing on security today and not in 20 years’ time. I don’t plan to be in power for 10 years.”
Zelensky’s appearance coincided with Russia launching what Ukrainian officials said was its single largest drone attack of the war so far. Ukraine air force command spokesman Yuriy Ignat said a record 267 Russian drones were launched in a single, co-ordinated attack.
People in Vilnius, Lithuania attend a demonstration to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Credit: AP
About 138 drones were intercepted and 119 disappeared without causing damage after being jammed, he said.
Leaders from Europe and Canada, including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, visited Kyiv on Monday to mark the invasion’s anniversary.
Von der Leyen wrote on social media platform X that Europe was in Kyiv “because Ukraine is in Europe”.
“In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It’s Europe’s destiny,” she wrote.
Last week, US and Russian officials met in Riyadh for their first high-level talks, agreeing to “establish a foundation for future collaboration” to end the war and restore relations.
It later emerged that Russia had demanded fresh elections be held before any final peace deal was signed. The Ukrainian Constitution declares that elections are forbidden while the country is under martial law, on the basis that free and fair ballots are challenging to hold while fighting rages.
But Trump said the demand for a Ukrainian presidential election “came from me”. He accused Ukraine of starting the war, which began after Putin ordered a full-scale invasion. Trump backed off his claim on Friday, saying, “Russia attacked, but they shouldn’t have let him attack.“
Zelensky, who promised to be a one-term president while campaigning in 2019 and whose mandate would normally have ended in May last year, has seen his own ratings gradually decline as the war has dragged on. Rivals old and new have been tipped to replace him.
A destroyed Russian military vehicle on display in St Michael’s square in Kyiv, Ukraine.Credit: AP
Initially, his popularity soared to 91 per cent in February 2022, reflecting a strong “rally ’round the flag” effect following Moscow’s invasion. As of this month, it stands at 57 per cent.
Zelensky said he was “not offended” by Trump’s “dictator” jab.
“I wouldn’t call Donald Trump’s words a compliment,” he said. “I wasn’t offended, but a dictator would be. I’m not. I’m the legally elected president.”
US officials have also pressed Zelensky to sign a $US500 billion ($787 billion) agreement turning over valuable mineral rights, including lithium and uranium, “as compensation” for support already given to the war-torn nation.
A draft agreement requested Ukraine relinquish half of its revenues from natural resource extraction, including minerals, gas and oil, as well as earnings from ports and other infrastructure.
But the accord would be of little economic benefit to Washington unless the conflict ended and the country was secure.
Zelensky previously rejected the demands, but now said “we are ready to speak about minerals” to America. “We are ready to share,” he said, but he said the US needed to make Putin “end this war”.
He reiterated that Ukraine needed security guarantees (the original concept of a rare minerals deal was designed to appeal to Trump’s penchant for dealmaking) but the draft deals offered so far were not satisfactory.
He said he was grateful for the support of both the Biden and Trump administrations, adding he had invited Trump to visit Ukraine but “unfortunately, we haven’t achieved this yet”.
Zelensky said “maybe he will come or maybe I will go to Washington and it will be very useful”.
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