Zelensky says he's "ready" to resign if it brings peace or Ukraine joins NATO

What he's saying: "If to achieve peace you really need me to give up my post — I'm ready," said Zelensky, who was democratically elected in 2019, in response to a question during a briefing Sunday. "I can trade it for NATO membership, if there are such conditions."

• Zelensky shrugged off Trump's claims that Ukraine's leader is "a dictator without elections" — in reference to Kyiv postponing going to the polls in 2024.
• "I wasn't offended, but a dictator would be," Zelensky said. "I am focused on Ukraine's security today, not in 20 years, I am not going to be in power for decades."

Context: Ukraine's Constitution "does not allow national elections during martial law, which was introduced in 2022 and remains in place" due to Russia's war on Ukraine, per the Atlantic Council think tank.

Between the lines: Ukraine's possible membership of NATO has been a source of tension between the Kyiv and Moscow officials for years.

• Putin used the matter in part to try and justify his forces' invasion of Ukraine, while Zelensky sees NATO membership as an essential guarantee of his country's long-term security.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said Ukraine joining NATO would not be a "realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement" with Russia.

Go deeper: Trump puts Ukraine in a vise

Editor's note: This article has been updated with further context.