Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not seem like he’s afraid of playing hardball with President Donald Trump during their expected meeting on Friday. While speaking with the media in Ukraine, Zelenskyy vowed to “resolve” the issue around NATO, saying he is looking to either join the alliance or “something similar.”

Zelenskyy has been pushing for Ukraine to gain NATO membership, and on Sunday he said he would resign from the presidency if that meant peace and entry into the alliance for his country. However, U.S. officials have said NATO membership for Ukraine is off the table in the near future, as Russia would not agree to such terms.

When briefing the press on Wednesday, Zelenskyy also teased possible topics for discussion during his expected meeting with Trump and said he has “very important questions” for the U.S. president, including whether the U.S. will cut off aid. 

Then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in New York.  (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Friday’s meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy comes at a crucial moment as the relationship between the two nations grows rocky.

Earlier this week, the U.S. voted against a United Nations resolution laying blame on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and demanding the removal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Subsequently, the U.S. abstained from a vote on its own resolution after several nations succeeded in amending it to make it clear that Russia was responsible.

Zelenskyy recently criticized Trump, saying the president was in a “disinformation space.” Vice President JD Vance later called out the Ukrainian leader’s “atrocious” approach to the administration. 

Following the criticisms, Trump accused Zelenskyy of being “a dictator without elections” in a Truth Social post and said that if the Ukrainian leader doesn’t “move fast” he wouldn’t “have a country left.”

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips, Greg Norman and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.