Zelensky Says He Would Give Up Presidency 'For the Peace of Ukraine'

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he'd happily resign the presidency if it meant peace for his nation.

"Yes, I am happy, if it is for the peace of Ukraine," Zelensky told a press conference according to The Guardian. "If you need me to leave this chair, I am ready to do that, and I also can exchange it for NATO membership for Ukraine."

Zelensky's offer comes after recent comments by President Donald Trump. Trump called Zelensky a "dictator" and demanded that he negotiate an end to the war quickly, the Associated Press reported.

Zelensky was democratically elected president in May 2019. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine instituted martial law during the invasion and has not been able to hold elections since. Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

According to The Guardian, Ukrainians have not supported the idea of an election during the conflict, especially with millions of Ukrainians currently having fled the country.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticized President Trump for taking Russian President Vladimir Putin's side in the war, the AP reported.

"It's disgusting to see an American president turn against one of our friends and openly side with a thug like Vladimir Putin," Schumer told the AP.

Putin has claimed the invasion was sparked by fears that Ukraine could join NATO. Ukraine became an independent country in 1991 following the fall of the Soviet Union. Since then, there has been ongoing tension between the two countries.