Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky on Sunday added that if it means peace in Ukraine, he could give up his position and exchange departures for his country’s entry and departures to the NATO military alliance.
“If you really need to leave my post, if you mean peace in Ukraine, I’m ready,” Zelensky appears to be irritated, saying, “I’m ready.” I said when asked if he was ready to leave the post whether it means it would be.
“You can exchange this for NATO (membership), if that state is right away, immediately,” the president added.
US President Donald Trump has promoted elections in Ukraine and branded Zelensky as a “dictator.” This is a clear reference to the official five-year term of office of the Ukrainian leader in 2024. He is an illegal leader.
Ukrainian law prohibits Ukraine from holding elections during martial law, which declared the day Russia invaded in February 2022.
“I have no intention of taking power for decades, but Putin will not allow him to take power beyond Ukrainian territory,” Zelensky said on Sunday, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ta.
A poll released this week found Zelenskiy’s approval rate was 63%, and he mentioned this Sunday when he was talking about Trump’s claims, calling his false statement “dangerous.” .
“I don’t think it’s wrong. It’s misinformation that affects it,” Zelensky said.
Zelenskiy said earlier this week that Trump was in the “false information bubble” angering the US president and his team. On Sunday, he tried to justify his previous comments. “(Information) About 4% of Ukrainians who support me are one of the signals spread by Russians, so I said it was a disinformation attack.
Trump’s criticism of Zelensky comes as the relationship between the two leaders has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks.
Zelenskiy opposes the idea of elections in a full-fledged war, a position supported by his major domestic political opponents.
The Ukrainian president also said he hopes Trump is a Ukrainian partner and not just a mediator between Kiev and Moscow.
“I really want it to be more than just mediation… that’s not enough,” he said at a press conference in Kiev.
Mineral trade
Trump has said Ukraine should provide US$500 billion in key raw materials as a recall of aid already received from the previous Joe Biden administration.
Zelenskiy refused to sign a detailed US proposal last week that would have seen Washington receive 50% of Ukraine’s important minerals, including graphite, uranium, titanium and lithium.
He said he wanted to make a deal, but in return he should provide security assurances to Ukraine.
On Friday, he said we and the Ukrainian team were working on the deal, and Trump said he expects the deal to be signed soon.
On Sunday, Zelenskiy said at a press conference that he rejected the idea that Ukraine owed US$500 billion.
“(Any form) becomes a debtor of the old one (given aid).”
Zelenskiy said earlier this week that Washington provided its country with $67 billion in weapons and $31.5 billion in direct budget support over nearly three years of war with Russia.
“We will not sign anything that ten generations of Ukrainians will pay back,” Zelenskiy said of the mineral trade.
Ukrainian Economic Minister Yuriya Swilydenko said on Sunday that 18% of Ukraine under Russian occupation contained around $350 billion in key raw materials, with Ukraine adding to update information from decades ago. He added that he is conducting geological research.
The president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on Sunday he had constructive new discussions with senior US officials about a contract to develop Ukrainian minerals.