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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his willingness to step down as president in exchange for peace and the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) membership for Ukraine.
Kyiv School of Economics President Tymofiy Mylovanov shared a video of Zelenskyy responding to a question from BBC News in Ukrainian. Zelenskyy stated that he is focused on Ukraine's security today and not staying in power for decades. According to the post shared on X by Mylovanov, Zelenskyy was asked whether he was ready to step down for peace. In response, Zelenskyy stated, "I am ready to step down for peace If no peace, I am happy to step down in exchange for NATO for Ukraine I am focused on security for Ukraine here and today and not staying in power for decades." Earlier on February 20, Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US Special Presidential Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg in Kyiv to discuss the battlefield situation, how to return Ukraine's prisoners of war and effective security guarantees. Zelenskyy expressed Ukraine's readiness for a "strong, effective" investment and security agreement with US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has sought peace from the very second of the war between Russia and Ukraine. He emphasised that strong ties between the US and Ukraine benefit the entire world. In a post on X, Zelenskyy stated, "I had a productive meeting with @SPE_Kellogg--a good discussion, many important details. I am grateful to the United States for all the assistance and bipartisan support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. It's important for us--and for the entire free world--that American strength is felt. We had a detailed conversation about the battlefield situation, how to return our prisoners of war and effective security guarantees." "Ukraine has sought peace since the first second of this war. We must and can ensure that peace is strong and lasting--so that Russia can never return to war. Ukraine is ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement with the President of the United States. We have proposed the fastest and most constructive way to achieve results. Our team is ready to work 24/7. Success unites us all. Strong Ukraine-U.S. relations benefit the entire world. I thank General Kellogg for the joint work to achieve important results," he added. The meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump's envoy came a day after US President Donald Trump targeted his Ukrainian counterpart over the ongoing war in Ukraine. It said that the United States has spent USD 200 billion more than Europe, while Europe's financial contributions are "guaranteed" and the US gets no return. Trump accused Zelenskyy of persuading the United States to invest billions of dollars in a war he believed could not be won, questioning the allocation of resources and Europe's lack of equal financial contribution. Trump also called Zelenskyy a dictator without elections. Sharing a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 billion dollars, to go into a war that couldn't be won, that never had to start, but a war that he, without the US and "TRUMP," will never be able to settle." The post added, "The United States has spent $200 billion dollars more than Europe, and Europe's money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back. Why didn't sleepy Joe Biden demand equalization, in that this war is far more important to Europe than it is to us -- We have a big, beautiful ocean as separation. On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is "MISSING." He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and was only good at playing Biden 'like a fiddle.' A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left." (ANI)
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