Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he would be ready to give up the presidency if it brought peace and Nato membership.
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Speaking at a forum of government officials in Kyiv marking the three-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky said he would step down if doing so would achieve a lasting peace for his country under the security umbrella of the Nato military alliance.
“If to achieve peace, you really need me to give up my post, I’m ready,” Zelensky said in response to a journalist’s question on whether he would swap his office for peace. “I can trade it for Nato.”
Zelensky’s comment appeared to be aimed at recent suggestions by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that elections should be held in Ukraine despite Ukrainian legislation prohibiting them during martial law.
Russia launched more strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday than in any other single attack of the war, Zelensky said.
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Writing on social media, Zelensky said 267 strike drones had been sent in what he called “the largest attack since Iranian drones began hitting Ukrainian cities and villages”. Ukraine’s air force said 138 drones had been shot down over 13 Ukrainian regions, with 119 more lost en route to their targets.