'Ready' to quit as president in exchange for Ukraine's NATO membership: Zelenskyy

Kyiv (Ukraine): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his willingness to step down from office in exchange for Ukraine's membership in NATO.

"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 press conference in Kyiv, adding he would depart "immediately" if necessary.

Meanwhile, around $350 billion of worth of Ukraine's critical resources are in areas captured by Russia, Ukrainian authorities said Sunday, as Washington pushes for a deal to secure preferential access to the country's resource base.

Zelenskyy also said that he and US president Donald Trump should meet to discuss an accord granting Washington access to Ukrainian natural resources before any meeting between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

To make an agreement on Ukrainian security concerns, "we need to meet and talk about it. I think that this meeting should be fair, which means before Trump meets Putin," Zelensky said.

They are vital for the production of electronics.

Trump and his aides have expressed frustration at Zelenskyy's unwillingness to sign a deal.

A source in Ukraine told AFP on Saturday the Ukrainian leader was "not ready" to agree to the current US demands.

Kyiv is pushing back against President Donald Trump's calls for Ukraine's resources to be used as compensation to the United States for aid delivered under President Joe Biden.

But large parts of Ukraine's resource base is in its industrial eastern Donbas region, where Russia has seized territory and is still advancing.