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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that he would be willing to step down from his position if it would lead to lasting peace and secure NATO membership for Ukraine.
Some shit you should know before you read: Over the last week, tensions between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have escalated, with Trump intensifying his rhetoric by calling Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” and claiming that his approval rating in Ukraine was just 4 percent (publicly available polling has Zelenskyy around 63%, which is a notable drop from previous years). This escalation followed Zelenskyy’s criticism of Trump for engaging in talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine without including Ukrainian representatives, a move that Zelenskyy argued undermined his country’s sovereignty. Trump’s frustration was further fueled by Zelenskyy’s refusal to proceed with a US proposal for a rare earth mineral deal, which Kyiv viewed as economically burdensome and lacking sufficient security guarantees.
What’s going on now: While speaking at a government forum in Kyiv on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated that he would be willing to resign if it would bring lasting peace to Ukraine and secure the country’s membership in NATO. He stressed his commitment to his nation’s future security by saying, “If to achieve peace, you really need me to give up my post, I’m ready,” and even suggested he could “trade” his position for NATO membership.
Despite his hopes, US officials have dismissed the possibility of Ukrainian NATO membership. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently called NATO accession for Ukraine “unrealistic” and indicated that Washington would no longer prioritize Ukraine’s security in its diplomatic efforts. The comments led to concerns among EU allies who believe that it could lead to Russia winning the war in Ukraine.
This all comes as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that a ceasefire in Ukraine could come as early as next week. While speaking to reporters, Leavitt said, “The president, his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict and the president is very confident we can get it done this week.”
