Zelenskyy Ready to Step Down for Peace or NATO Membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to leave his post if it means peace for Ukraine. Or "exchange the post for NATO" since he does not intend to "be in power for decades," Ukrainska Pravda reports.

Zelenskyy made this statement during the press conference "Ukraine. Year 2025" at the forum. He also said that the presidential elections in Ukraine will be held after the lifting of martial law.

According to the head of Ukraine, in Kyiv, there will soon be a summit with the participation of European leaders, which could become a turning point, and the list of participants in the negotiations should include Ukraine, the USA, Russia, and the EU.

Zelenskyy said that the U.S. insists on a ceasefire without providing security guarantees. Ukraine, however, demands the following guarantees: joining the European Union, Western funding for the 800,000-strong Ukrainian army, and the presence of a foreign contingent on Ukrainian territory.

The Ukrainian President also commented on Washington's demands to conclude a deal on rare earth metals, which, according to some sources, outlines Kyiv's obligations to pay the U.S. the equivalent of $500 billion.

U.S. President Donald Trump explained this amount by stating that Washington has provided Ukraine with at least $350 billion in aid and wants to compensate for it.

According to Zelenskyy, Trump wants Ukraine to give him a 100% payback on the aid provided to the U.S.

That is why Ukraine refuses to acknowledge its debt to the U.S. ($500 billion or $100 billion.)

Ukraine received $100 billion in aid from the US, not $350, not $500, not $700. But I'm not ready to admit even $100 billion because a grant is not a debt. I agreed on this with Biden. We don't admit that this is a debt, the President of Ukraine stated.

He noted that he would not sign something that "will be paid by 10 generations of Ukrainians."

Meanwhile, U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff said on CNN that the U.S. expects to sign a rare earth element deal with Ukraine next week.

Witkoff also stated that the 2022 Istanbul Agreements could become the basis for resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He noted that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict was "provoked," though not necessarily by Russia. 

According to Witkoff, the military conflict began in conditions where there was much talk about Ukraine joining NATO, which "essentially became a threat to Russians."

Putin has repeatedly said Russia is ready for negotiations based on the Istanbul agreements.

Original Author: Oksana Matvienko