Zelenskyy ready to exchange presidency for peace

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he would resign if it would bring peace to Ukraine, and he would also do so if it would result in Ukraine obtaining NATO membership.

Zelenskyy made the comments on Sunday in response to a question from Ian Pannell, ABC News' chief foreign correspondent, during a press conference in Kyiv, a day before the third anniversary of Russia's large-scale invasion.

If it's truly necessary for peace in Ukraine that I leave my position, I'm ready," Zelenskyy replied to Pannell, asking if he was prepared to step down if it would help achieve peace. "We can trade it for NATO membership. If those are the terms, then let's do it without delay. I'm focused on Ukraine's security for now, not in 20 years, and I have no intention of staying in power for a decade. This is my priority and greatest goal.

Donald Trump refers to Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "dictator" as the Ukraine leader criticizes him for spreading "disinformation".

Zelenskyy's comments come after President Donald Trump called him a "dictator without elections" and portrayed him as an obstacle to ending the war in Ukraine. Trump stated this last week after U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, saying Zelenskyy "had better act quickly or he won't have a country left."

President Trump has recently caused a significant deterioration in his relationship with President Zelenskyy, as he has started accusing Ukraine of being responsible for the conflict and has been working to re-establish ties with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Moreover, the recent talks in Saudi Arabia did not involve Ukraine.

The Trump administration is also putting pressure on Zelenskyy, requiring him to sign an agreement that would have Ukraine pay the United States $500 billion through a fund, which would be financed by taking 50% of the revenue from Ukraine's natural resources, including minerals, oil, and gas, as well as ports and other infrastructure. Trump has described this deal as compensation for the aid that the U.S. has already provided to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has so far refused to sign the agreement because it doesn't provide any guarantees and because he claims that the amount demanded by Trump is five times more than what the US has given since 2022. (The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, based in Germany, estimates that the US has committed approximately $119 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022. This total includes both military, financial, and humanitarian assistance.)

At a Sunday press conference, Zelenskyy stated he's not willing to agree to a $500 billion payment, pointing out that Ukraine has already received $100 billion in aid from the U.S. Zelenskyy also expressed his dissatisfaction with the proposed terms, noting that under the draft deal, Ukraine would have to repay $2 for every $1 received.

"I simply want to have a conversation with President Trump. I believe that's a reasonable request. I'm not willing to agree to something that future Ukrainian generations will be burdened with repaying over the next 10 generations," he said.

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A senior Ukrainian official told ABC News on Saturday that Ukraine had proposed repaying $100 billion to the U.S. However, Zelenskyy stated on Sunday that he was uneasy with that idea, pointing out that the funds had been provided to Ukraine as a grant that was approved through a bipartisan agreement in Congress, and not as a loan that needed to be repaid with interest.

Zelenskyy stated that his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, was engaged in ongoing negotiations with the Trump administration, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and that the $500 billion figure was no longer being considered in the talks. "We're making progress," he said on Sunday.

Zelenskyy also repeated that he believes NATO membership for Ukraine is still the most "cost-effective" solution for Ukraine's security, insisting that any peace deal must include security guarantees for Ukraine in order to be acceptable and lasting.

MORE: Russia launches 267 drones into Ukraine, setting a new record ahead of the anniversary of the invasion

US officials on Sunday were pressuring Ukraine to remove a yearly UN draft resolution that criticizes Russia's 2022 invasion, and to replace it with a US-backed statement that doesn't hold Russia accountable for the war, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has so far refused to remove the resolution.

So far, Trump has been pushing for an end to the war, but he's only been directing his pressure at Ukraine, asking them to make concessions, while seeming to demand very little from Russia, just that it stop fighting.

"I want to know what Donald Trump wants from him. I believe that if we trust what he says, it's the same thing: an end to the war as soon as possible. On this point, we fully agree. I truly believe he wants this and will help us make it happen," Zelenskyy said.

"He means that 'peace through strength' is about using that strength to counter Russia. In my opinion, that's the core of the phrase. I'd like him to be on our side - I don't believe simple mediation is sufficient. We need security guarantees from the United States," Zelenskyy said, also thanking Congress for bipartisan support of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine requires a lasting sense of security, noting that even if Trump can persuade Putin now, he won't always be in the picture. "He [Trump] is not permanent, and we need peace for many, many years," Zelenskyy stated.

ABC News' David Brennan assisted with this report.