Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that he is a dictator, while also suggesting that Trump’s time in office is not indefinite, according to a BBC interview released Sunday.

Zelensky responded with a laugh when asked about Trump’s assertion that he is “a dictator who started the war.” He said, “I am not a dictator, and I didn’t start the war, that’s it.”

When questioned about whether Trump could be trusted to uphold security guarantees as part of a potential peace deal with Russia, Zelensky implied that political leaders in the U.S. would eventually change. He said, “It is not only President Trump, we’re talking about America. We are all presidents for the appropriate terms. We want guarantees for 30 years for example. Political elites will change, leaders will change.”

Zelensky’s presidential term officially expired in May 2024, but he has refused to hold elections, citing martial law. Russia argues that Zelensky is illegitimate because his term has ended, which it claims is an obstacle to a binding peace agreement.

Trump labeled Zelensky a “dictator without elections” in February 2025, and their Oval Office meeting devolved into a televised argument, with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance accusing Zelensky of ingratitude for U.S. support in the war with Russia.

Since then, Trump has urged Ukraine to hold elections. Zelensky has said he is open to holding an election, but only if Western security guarantees are provided. Officials in Kyiv have also said they need more financial support to organize the vote.

In December, Zelensky had previously suggested that U.S. positions on Ukraine’s NATO aspirations could shift if Trump were no longer in office. He said, “Maybe the position will change in the future… The world changes, some live, some die. That’s life.”