Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented lawmakers with a long-awaited “victory plan” aimed at strengthening his country’s position enough to end the war with Russia.
Zelensky told parliament in Kyiv that the plan could end the war – which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – next year.
Key factors include a formal invitation to join NATO, the lifting of the allies’ ban on long-range strikes with Western-supplied weapons deep inside Russia, and the refusal to exchange territory and sovereignty. of Ukraine and continued incursions into the Kursk region of western Russia. .
The Kremlin rejected the plan and a spokesman said Kiev needed to “come to its senses”.
Speaking to lawmakers on Wednesday, Mr. Zelensky also criticized China, Iran and North Korea for supporting Russia and described them as a “coalition of criminals.”
He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “gone crazy”, describing him as someone with a penchant for waging wars.
Zelenksky said he will present the winning plan at the EU summit on Thursday.
“We are at war with Russia on the battlefield, in international relations, in the economy, in the information field and in the hearts of the people,” he told parliament.
The plan outlined by Zelensky includes 5 main points:
- Invite Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance
- Strengthening Ukraine’s defense against Russian forces, including obtaining permission from allies to use their long-range weapons on Russian territory and continuing Ukrainian military operations on Russian territory to Avoid creating “buffer zones” in Ukraine
- Prevent Russia through a non-nuclear strategic deterrence package deployed on Ukrainian soil
- Joint US and EU protection of Ukraine’s important natural resources and joint use of their economic potential
- Just in the post-war period: replace some US troops stationed across Europe with Ukrainian soldiers
Mr. Zelensky said the three “annexes” remained secret and would only be shared with Ukraine’s partners.
In the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, people who spoke to the BBC mostly supported the plan.
“We should not give up territory,” one man said, adding that he hoped Ukraine still had a chance to join NATO and would also receive more support from allies.
One woman said everything depends on what security guarantees Ukraine can receive.
Another woman emphasized that “people want to end the war as soon as possible”.
Zelensky’s plan was given to US President Joe Bidenas well as presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, in September.
Key allies such as Britain, France, Italy and Germany are also said to have seen the plan.
On Wednesday night, Zelensky spoke with Biden to brief him on his “victory plan.”
He also thanked the US for a new defense assistance package worth $425 million to Ukraine, including air defense systems and long-range weapons.
The White House said the package includes “a range of additional capabilities,” including air defense and artillery systems, as well as ammunition and hundreds of armored vehicles.
It said of Zelensky’s “victory plan” that “the two leaders tasked their teams to engage in further consultations on next steps”.
Last month, US officials were quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying that the Biden administration was concerned that the plan lacked a comprehensive strategy and was just a repackaged request for more weapons and lifted restrictions. long-term use of guns. long range missiles.
Analysts in Ukraine and the West also believe that the White House wants to show that it wants to avoid further escalation with Russia in the run-up to the US presidential election.
Zelensky’s peace conditions are increasingly at odds with the situation around him.
Before parliamentarians, he acknowledged the growing fatigue in his country. Fatigue was evident on his face as he said that “victory for some has become an unpleasant word and not easily achieved.”
National morale is gradually collapsing under the weight of the rising death toll, controversial mobilization laws and Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukrainian territory.
It is increasingly expected that any peace deal would have to involve Ukraine making territorial concessions in exchange for security guarantees.
However, there is no sign of compromise to bring the end of the war any closer. Instead, Zelensky doubled down on his desire to force Russia to negotiate and not cede Ukrainian territory, through strengthening his own military.
He also claimed his expansion plans could be carried out with the consent of allies, not Russia.
In public, Zelensky clearly still sees this war as existential and warns that Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue to strengthen his position.
He also seems to frame his vision as an investment opportunity for Western allies in terms of natural resources and economic potential.
The Ukrainian president wants his exhausted army to continue fighting.
But with his military so dependent on Western aid, his “victory plan” will need the approval of the next US president.
Reacting to Zelensky’s plan, new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described this as a “strong signal” from Kiev.
“That doesn’t mean I’m here to say I support the whole plan – that’s going to be a bit difficult because there are a lot of issues that we have to understand better.”
Mr. Rutte added: “I have full confidence that in the future Ukraine will join us. [Nato].”
Immediately after Zelensky finished speaking, the Kremlin rejected his “ephemeral peace plan”, saying Kyiv needed to “stay awake”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the only way to end the war was for Ukraine to “realize the futility of the policy it is pursuing”.
