INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
it meant Kyiv would be admitted to the NATO military alliance.He spoke as Russia's TASS news agency reported that U.S
and Russian diplomats would meet in the next week, a follow-up to Riyadh talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S
Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Zelensky has faced fierce criticism from the new U.S
administration and said he wants to meet Donald Trump before the U.S
president meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.Zelensky has been calling for Ukraine to be given NATO membership as part of any deal
to end the war, but the Washington-led alliance has been reluctant to make a pledge."If there is peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to
leave my post, I am ready
I can exchange it for NATO," Zelensky told a Kyiv press conference, adding he would depart "immediately" if necessary.Zelensky and Trump
have been engaged in a war of words since U.S
and Russian officials met last week in Saudi Arabia for their first high-level talks in three years
The move shook the West's policy to isolate the Kremlin and infuriated Ukrainian and European leaders as they were not invited.In a series
of verbal attacks over the last week, Trump has branded Zelensky a "dictator," falsely claimed Ukraine "started" the war and said, contrary
to independent opinion polls, that Zelensky was unpopular at home.Zelensky said he was not "offended" by Trump's comments and was ready to
test his popularity in elections once martial law ends in Ukraine."One would be offended by the word 'dictator,' if he was a dictator,"
Zelensky told the press conference."I want very much from Trump understanding of each other," he said, adding that "security guarantees"
president were "much needed."The Ukrainian leader also called for Trump to meet with him before any summit with Putin
He added that there had been "progress" on a deal to give the United States preferential access to Ukraine's critical resources.As its
troops advance on the battlefield and it continues massive aerial attacks, Russia has revelled in the diplomat spat between Trump and
moves can bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to a truce.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meanwhile called Sunday for a Ukraine peace deal
that respects the country's "territorial integrity."Scrambling to respond to Trump's dramatic policy reversal, French President Emmanuel
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Washington this week to make the case for supporting Ukraine.
