(CNN) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was “ready” to resign as leader if it meant it would bring peace to his country, suggesting he could swap it for NATO membership – while also pushing back against US demands for Ukraine’s critical minerals and other natural resources as part of negotiations to end the war.
Asked at a press conference Sunday if he was ready to quit if it ensures peace for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said: “If (it guarantees) peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to resign, I am ready. I can exchange it for NATO.”
Earlier this month, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that Kyiv joining NATO was unrealistic, upending the alliance’s stated policy that Ukraine was on an “irreversible path” to membership.
The Ukrainian president’s remarks come amid an ongoing spat with US President Donald Trump, who has called Zelenskyy a “dictator” for not holding elections while Ukraine remains at war.
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion three years ago. The martial law prohibits elections.
Zelenskyy on Sunday also pushed back against Trump’s demand for a $500 billion share of Ukraine’s deposits of rare earths and other minerals as part of a draft “deal” Trump said would reflect the amount of aid the US has provided to Ukraine during its war with Russia.
“I am not going to recognize $500 (billion),” Zelenskyy said during a press conference at a forum marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Drawing on Ukraine’s resources to pay back the sum could take 250 years, Zelenskyy said, adding that he could not sign anything that “ten generations of Ukrainians” would have to pay back.
The US was one of Ukraine’s closest allies under the Biden administration, providing the country with tens of billions worth of military aid. But Trump has made it clear that he thinks the US should no longer send aid to Ukraine without getting anything in return.
Ukraine has been pushing for US security guarantees to be part of any deal involving its mineral wealth.
Strained ties
The dispute between Trump and Zelenskyy has escalated in recent days after the US president falsely accused Ukraine of starting the conflict. Trump later admitted “Russia attacked” but blamed his predecessor Joe Biden and Zelenskyy for not stopping the fighting sooner.
The rift has strained ties at a pivotal moment in the conflict. US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia this week for “exploratory” talks about how to end the war but left Kyiv to watch from afar, sparking panic from European allies.
Zelenskyy on Sunday said his approach with the Trump administration is “pragmatic.”
“There is no space for emotions here,” he said. Referring to Trump’s remarks about him, the Ukrainian leader said: “Obviously, I would not say President Trump’s words about me are compliments, to say the least.”
Overnight, Russia launched a record 267 drones at Ukraine, killing at least one person, in an unprecedented attack on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s war in the country, Ukrainian authorities said Sunday.
“Every day, our people are resisting aerial terror,” Zelensky said Sunday, adding that the overnight attack was “the largest attack since Iranian drones started hitting Ukrainian cities and villages.”
“We need to do our best to bring a lasting and just peace to Ukraine. This is possible in the unity of all partners – we need the strength of all of Europe, the strength of America, the strength of everyone who wants a lasting peace,” Zelenskyy said on X.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence directorate, called the overnight attack “purely a means of intimidation, a terrorist act.”
Ukraine’s military support
Zelenskyy said he ultimately wants a successful agreement and that he hopes the US will not freeze military support to Ukraine in the process of reaching a deal.
“We will sign this – the first agreement, or memo, memo on which base we will prepare other documents,” he told CNN’s Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh at the press conference. “So, I hope it will not have influence on other steps of the United States, and they will not cancel or stop or freeze any support, especially military support to Ukraine. That’s crucial for us.”
Asked if he thinks he can mend his relationship with Trump, Zelenskyy said presidents should not lose the partnership between their countries.
“That’s why, for me, it is very important to have the support of the president, and support of senate, congress, your two parties, but first of all the support for your people. And I count on it very much and I am thankful we have it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, said he had to leave the forum Zelenskyy was speaking at early to have an “important conversation” about the agreement with American partners.
In a Telegram post, Yermak said he and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko spoke with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, their teams, and a representative from Vice President JD Vance’s team.
“We are making progress in our work. A constructive conversation. The USA is our partner and we are grateful to the American people, grateful for the bipartisan support -you have been with us all three years of the Russian invasion,” Yermak said.
CNN’s Ivana Kottasová and Svitlana Vlasova contributed to this report.
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