Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be willing to step down if Ukraine were granted membership in NATO.
“If (it means) peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, I am ready,” Zelenskyy said at a news conference on Sunday, hours before the third anniversary of the Russian invasion. “I can exchange this for NATO (membership), if that condition is there, immediately,” he added.
But NATO membership for Ukraine, already unlikely in the short-term, looks even more out of reach since President Donald Trump took a hard turn against U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense against its devastating invasion and occupation by Russia. After Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said NATO membership was not realistic for a negotiated settlement to the war, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and dispatched a team to negotiate with Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia for an end to the war – without any input from Ukraine or its European allies.
Zelenskyy also had harsh words for a deal proposed by the Trump administration to gain control of the country’s mineral reserves in exchange for continued U.S. support. He said the proposed deal would require Ukraine to pay back aid it was given to defend against Russia’s attacks – a term he would never accept. The $500 billion cited by Trump as the total amount of aid given to Ukraine over the course of the war is also grossly out of proportion – the real amount is less than one-fifth of that, Zelenskyy said.
The deal would only make sense if the U.S. deployed its own troops to Ukraine as a safety guarantee, he said.
More:Team Trump shakes Europe with Ukraine shift and NATO demands
Even President Joe Biden, who prioritized Ukraine aid, drew a red line at sending U.S. troops into the conflict and directly engaging in battle with Russia.
Trump team insists Zelenskyy ‘not wavering anymore’ on deal
But even as Zelenskyy starkly criticized the deal, Trump’s representatives insisted it would be finalized this week.
Although Zelenskyy’s “commitment” to the deal was on shaky ground a week ago, “The president sent the message to him. He’s not wavering any more,” Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, told CNN “State of the Union” on Sunday. “I think you’ll see it signed this week,” he added.
Witkoff said the war was “provoked,” but not “necessarily” by the Russians – the invading country.
“There were all kinds of conversations back then about Ukraine joining NATO. That didn’t need to happen. It basically became a threat to the Russians,” he said.
Relations between Trump and Zelenskyy took a nose dive last week, with Trump branding Zelenskyy a “dictator” and pushing for Ukraine to hold elections – Ukraine has postponed them while at war with Russia. Asked if Putin deserved the same title, Trump deflected the question.
