Zelensky: “I will not resign — this war is my responsibility”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he does not intend to resign and refuses to hold presidential elections.

He made the statement in an interview with British journalist and television presenter Piers Morgan.

Zelensky explained his position by saying he considers the war his personal responsibility, and also pointed to the political motives of those seeking his resignation.

“I will not resign: this war is my responsibility. Some powerful figures want to replace me because I will never recognize Ukrainian lands as Russian,” he said.

Zelensky also commented separately on the topic of elections, which Donald Trump had previously raised. According to the Ukrainian president, neither Trump, nor Elon Musk, nor anyone else in the world has the right to choose Ukraine’s president — that is the exclusive prerogative of Ukrainian citizens.

“Neither Trump, nor Musk, nor anyone else in the world can choose the president of Ukraine. Only the citizens of Ukraine can do that. It is impossible to hold the elections Trump spoke of in Ukraine: citizens will not elect a new president under such conditions,” Zelensky said.

Russia had previously refused to declare a two-month ceasefire to allow presidential elections in Ukraine, the possibility of which Zelensky himself had raised. The American magazine The Atlantic reported that Trump considers Zelensky the main obstacle to peace.