Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented lawmakers with a long-awaited ‘victory plan’ aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s position enough to end the war with Russia.
Prime Minister Zelensky told parliament in Kiev that the plan could end next year the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Key elements include a formal invitation to join NATO, lifting the alliance’s ban on long-range attacks deep into Russia using Western-supplied weapons, rejecting any deal for Ukrainian territory and sovereignty, and continuing the incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region. .
A Kremlin spokesman dismissed the plan, saying Kiev “must come to its senses.”
Addressing lawmakers on Wednesday, Prime Minister Zelenskyy condemned China, Iran and North Korea’s support for Russia, describing them as a “coalition of criminals.”
He also said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “crazy” and described him as waging war.
Zelenksky said he would present his winning plan at the EU summit on Thursday.
“We are waging war with Russia on the battlefield, in international relations, in the economy, in the information sphere and in the minds of the people,” he told parliament.
The plan presented by Zelensky consists of five key points:
- Inviting Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance
- Strengthening Ukraine’s defenses against Russian troops, including obtaining permission from allies to use long-range weapons on Russian territory, and continuing Ukraine’s military operations on Russian territory to avoid the creation of a “buffer zone” in Ukraine.
- Containment of Russia through non-nuclear strategic deterrence package deployed on Ukrainian soil.
- The United States and the European Union jointly protect Ukraine’s vital natural resources and jointly exploit its economic potential.
- Post-war period only: Some American troops stationed throughout Europe were replaced by Ukrainian soldiers.
The three “appendices” will remain secret and be shared only with partners in Ukraine, Zelensky said.
Zelensky’s plan It was presented to US President Joe Biden.The same goes for presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump last September.
It is reported that this plan has also been disclosed to major allies such as the UK, France, Italy, and Germany.
Last month, U.S. officials were quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying the Biden administration was concerned that the plan lacked a comprehensive strategy and amounted to little more than calling for more weapons and lifting long-term restrictions on weapons use. range missiles.
Ukrainian and Western analysts have suggested the White House wants to show it wants to avoid further conflict with Russia ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
Zelenskiy’s conditions for peace are increasingly out of sync with the circumstances surrounding him.
Speaking to lawmakers, he acknowledged his country’s growing fatigue. His face showed fatigue as he said, “For some, victory is an uncomfortable word and is not easily achieved.”
The rising death toll, the controversial mobilization law, and endless Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory are gradually collapsing public morale.
There is a growing belief that any peace deal will require Ukraine to concede territory in exchange for security guarantees.
However, there were no signs of compromise to hasten the end of the war. Instead, Zelensky wanted to strengthen his forces to force Russia to negotiate without ceding Ukrainian territory.
He also insisted that his far-reaching plans could be implemented with the consent of allies rather than Russia.
Publicly, Zelenskyy still views the war as existential and has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue to strengthen his position.
He also seemed to set his vision as an investment opportunity for Western allies in terms of natural resources and economic potential.
Ukraine’s president wants its exhausted army to keep fighting.
But because his military is so dependent on Western aid, his “victory plan” will require the approval of the next U.S. president.
Commenting on Zelensky’s plan, NATO’s new Secretary-General Mark Rutte described it as a “strong signal” from Kiev.
“That doesn’t mean I can say I support the whole plan here. It’s going to be a little difficult because there are a lot of issues that we need to understand better.”
Mr Rutte added: “I am absolutely confident that Ukraine will join us (NATO) in the future.”
Shortly after Zelensky finished his speech, the Kremlin scrapped his “temporary peace plan”, saying Kiev needed to come to its senses.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the only way the war could end was if Ukraine realized the futility of the policy it was pursuing.
