Trump "broke" Zelensky: I'm ready to resign for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he was ready to step down from his post if that was the price for peace in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader also stated that he would exchange his departure for Ukraine's accession to NATO.

Zelensky also said he wanted US President Donald Trump to be seen as a partner for Ukraine, and not simply as a mediator between Kiev and Moscow.

"I really want more than mediation... that's not enough," he declared at a press conference in Kiev.

During this conference, Zelensky, who was elected through an electoral process in Ukraine in May 2019, was asked if he was willing to give up the presidency in exchange for peace.

"Yes, I would be happy if it were for peace in Ukraine," the Ukrainian leader declared.

"If I have to leave this table, I am ready to do so and I can also exchange it for NATO membership," he added. 

The Ukrainian president's comments come after his American counterpart called him "a dictator without elections" earlier this week.

Ukrainian legislation prohibits elections when martial law is in effect, declared since the start of Russia's invasion in February 2022. (A2 Televizion)