Zelenskyy says he's ready to step down if it means peace for Ukraine
KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would step down if it meant peace for his country, adding he would also do so if it meant Ukraine would be granted NATO membership.
Zelenskyy made the comments on Sunday in response to a question from ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Ian Pannell during a press conference in Kyiv, a day before the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
"If for peace for Ukraine, it's truly necessary for you that I leave my post, I am ready," Zelenskyy replied to Pannell asking if he was prepared to step down it if could help peace. "We can exchange it for NATO membership. If those are the terms, then let's do it without delay. I'm focused on Ukraine's security today, not In 20 years, and I have no intention of staying in power for a decade. This is my focus and my greatest aspiration."
Zelenskyy's remarks come after President Donald Trump accused him of being a "dictator without elections" and presented him as an obstacle to ending the war in Ukraine, saying last week after U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia that Zelenskyy "better move fast or he's not going to have a country left."
Trump has triggered a public breakdown in relations with Zelenskyy in the past week, as he has shifted to falsely blaming Ukraine for the war (Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022) and restoring U.S. relations with Russia. Notably, the talks in Saudia Arabia last week did not include Ukraine.
The Trump administration is also putting pressure on Zelenskyy, demanding he sign a deal that would have Ukraine pay the United States $500 billion through a fund, financed by taking 50% of the revenue of Ukraine's natural resources -- including minerals, oil and gas -- as well ports and other infrastructure. Trump has presented the deal as back pay for the aid the U.S. has already provided to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy has so far refused to sign an agreement because it offers no guarantees and because he says the amount demanded by Trump is five times more than what the U.S. has given since 2022. (The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, based in Germany, estimates that the U.S. has committed about $119 billion in aid for Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022. This figure combines military, financial and humanitarian assistance.)
At the press conference on Sunday, Zelenskyy said he was not willing to agree to pay $500 billion, saying Ukraine has received $100 billion in aid from the U.S. Zelenskyy also criticized the terms, noting the draft deal would see Ukraine pay back $2 for every dollar given to it.
"I just want a dialogue with President Trump. I think that's fair. I'm not signing off on something that future Ukrainian generations will have to pay back for the next 10 generations," he said.
A senior Ukrainian official told ABC News on Saturday that Ukraine had proposed paying back $100 billion to the U.S. But Zelenskyy on Sunday said he was uncomfortable with that, noting the money had been given to Ukraine as a grant approved via bipartisan agreement in Congress -- not as a loan to be paid back with interest.
Zelenskyy said his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, was currently negotiating again with the Trump administration, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and that the $500 billion figure was no longer being discussed in the talks. "We're making progress," he said Sunday.
Zelenskyy also repeated that he believes NATO membership for Ukraine is still the most "cost-effective" solution for Ukraine's security, insisting the country must have security guarantees for any peace deal to be acceptable and durable.
Trump officials on Sunday were pressuring Ukraine to withdraw an annual United Nations draft resolution that condemns Russia's 2022 invasion, and to replace it with a U.S.-sponsored statement that doesn't assign responsibility for the war, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has so far refused to withdraw the resolution.
So far Trump, in pushing for an end to the war, has directed pressure only at Ukraine, demanding it make concessions while seeming to demand little of Russia except that it stop fighting.
"What do I want from Donald Trump? I believe that if we trust in what he says, it's the same thing: a swift end to the war. On this point, we fully agree. I truly believe he wants this and will help us achieve it," Zelenskyy said.
"But 'peace through strength' means focusing that strength against Russia. This, I think, is the essence of the phrase. I want him on our side -- I don't think simple mediation is enough. We need security guarantees from the United States," Zelenskyy said, also expressing gratitude for bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine needs long-lasting security, saying even if Trump can deter Putin now, he will not always be there. "He [Trump] is not forever, and we need peace for many, many years," Zelenskyy said.
ABC News' David Brennan contributed to this report.
