President beyond his term: Zelensky finds a reason to stay a bit longer

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he must remain in office until the war is over.

The statement was made during an interview with British television channel Sky News.

Sky News journalist Mark Austin asked Zelensky whether he had considered stepping down, given the difficult situation on the battlefield and his strained relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.

“I’m always ready, but I’m not ready to betray my people. There’s a war going on, and I have a great duty to see this war through together with my country. If my people believe they need another leader, then I have no right to stay. That’s a fact. Yes, I’m tired — because the country is at war. And there are people who are just as tired, maybe even more,” Zelensky responded.

When asked whether he considered himself the “best candidate,” Zelensky replied that his main advantage lies in the personal relationships he has built with world leaders.

“I’m the most experienced. Maybe not the best — there are always people better than you. But in critical moments I’ve had 20 calls with world leaders in a single day. You have to build all of that, and not just bring back agreements, but results. That’s the difficult role of a leader,” he said.

Zelensky also expressed concern that the war in the Middle East could weaken support for Ukraine, especially from the United States, which would give Russia a battlefield advantage.

The interview took place on Monday during Zelensky’s visit to London, where he met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street, and with House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle in Parliament. He then traveled to Windsor Castle for a meeting with King Charles III.

A day earlier, Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, told British newspaper The Times that Zelensky should run for a second term because he is “the best president” in Ukraine’s history.

Meanwhile, Russian officials have claimed that Zelensky is “not suitable” to sign any agreement to end the war, arguing that he “has long since lost even internal legitimacy, let alone external.”