Meanwhile, the Kremlin has positively assessed the shift in the United States' stance towards Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described as "promising" the dialogue between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. "It is important that nothing interferes with the implementation of their political will," Peskov noted.
Moscow has announced that a new meeting between Russian and American diplomats will take place at the end of next week. This follows the meeting on February 18 in Saudi Arabia between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, representing American diplomacy.
During a press conference in Kiev, Zelensky reiterated his willingness to resign if it ensures Ukraine's security. "If they really need me to leave my position, I am ready. I can exchange [the presidency] for [joining] the NATO," he stated.
These statements by Zelensky come after comments made by Donald Trump, who referred to him as a "dictator" for remaining in power without holding elections. Ukraine has been unable to hold elections due to the martial law in place since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. Zelensky responded that he was not "offended" by Trump's words, recalling that he was legitimately elected by the Ukrainian citizens.