Zelensky says he would resign as president if Ukraine got NATO membership

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that he would be willing to quit the presidency in exchange for Ukraine's membership in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Tit for tat

Zelensky was speaking at a press conference on Feb. 23, responding to comments made by United States President Donald Trump, who had called him a dictator and claimed he was massively unpopular in Ukraine.

Reuters reported that Zelensky had an irritated demeanour when answering whether he would leave his office if it meant securing peace.

Zelensky replied that he was ready to leave the post if it meant peace for Ukraine.

He even went as far as to say that if the condition for NATO membership were that he should quit the presidency immediately, he would do so.

Zelensky was focused on Ukraine's security today, and "not in 20 years" as he did not intend to be in power for "decades", according to the BBC.

Trump administration officials have long rejected the idea of Ukrainian membership of NATO, saying that it was entirely off the table, along with security assurances involving U.S. troops.

State of emergency

Trump has accused Zelensky of being a dictator and being highly unpopular amongst his own people.

The dictator accusations are because Zelensky was elected to the presidency on a five-year term in May 2019, meaning that he would have needed to stand for re-election in 2024, something he has not done.

Zelensky has countered by noting that his country is under invasion and that half his countrymen would not be able to vote normally, as large portions are still under occupation and other parts are under constant attack, and with soldiers having to be on the frontlines.

By way of example, Zelensky said that on the previous day, Ukraine had endured an attack from Russia with 267 drones, the largest of the war so far.

The Kyiv Independent reported that Ukraine's constitution forbids elections from being held during a state of emergency, as was the case when Russia invaded three years ago on Feb. 24, 2022.

According to the Kyiv Independent, Zelensky's decision not to hold elections during wartime is supported not just by the electorate but also by his major domestic political opponents.

A new poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology and its partners found that Zelensky enjoys strong support, with his approval rating at 63 per cent and only 32.6 per cent expressing disapproval of his actions.

By way of comparison, 538 put Trump's approval rating at 46.5 per cent, and his disapproval rating at 48.2 per cent.

Bubble

Zelensky explained earlier comments in which he said Trump was in a disinformation bubble.

He said that the 4 per cent approval rating claim, as well as claims that he was a dictator, was consistent with claims made in Russian disinformation efforts.

Trump's parroting of such claims was a sign that he had been exposed to such efforts, but Zelensky refrained from blaming Trump directly.

Trump has also demanded a vast quantity of Ukraine's mineral wealth in exchange for the aid that has been supplied thus far, putting a US$500 billion bill on it.

Zelensky has rejected the sum, saying that aid provided thus far amounted to about US$100 billion, mostly in weaponry but with some direct aid as well.

Zelensky said that he would not accept a deal that would take Ukraine "ten generations" to repay.

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Top image via Володимир Зеленський/Facebook