Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday, February 23 that he is open to stepping down if it would bring peace to Ukraine, suggesting he could trade his departure for the country’s NATO membership.

“If there is peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, I am ready. … I can exchange it for NATO,” Zelenskyy told a press conference in Kyiv, adding he would depart “immediately” if necessary.

He clarified that he does not intend to remain in power for decades.

“I am focused on Ukraine’s security today, not 20 years from now, and I don’t plan to stay in power for decades,” Zelensky added.

He also expressed his desire for US President Donald Trump to be a true partner to Ukraine rather than merely a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow.

On February 21, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said US President Donald Trump was “very, very frustrated” with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as he highlighted the growing rift between the Trump administration and Kyiv.

“His frustration with President Zelensky is — that you’ve heard — is multi-fold. One, there needs to be a deep appreciation for what the American people, what the American taxpayer, what President Trump did in his first term, and what we’ve done since. So some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump, were unacceptable.”

On February 19, Trump called Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” prompting the Ukrainian President to say that Trump “lives in this disinformation space” and is “(helping) Putin out of his isolation”.