Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday unveiled his long-awaited “victory plan,” calling on his allies to take urgent steps to support Kiev at a perilous moment in a bid to end the war with Russia next year.
With Russian forces advancing in the east and a bleak winter of blackouts approaching, Putin told parliament that his plan contains Five main points Which was in the hands of his allies, including an unconditional invitation to join NATO now and arms support.
In return, he offered a Western role in developing Ukraine’s natural mineral resources, and said that Ukrainian forces could enhance NATO security and replace some American forces in Europe.
He added: “We, along with our partners, must change circumstances so that the war ends. No matter what Putin wants. “We must all change circumstances so that Russia is forced to make peace.”
Zelensky, who has relentlessly called for a “just” end to the war, says his plan is necessary to force the Kremlin to negotiate in good faith, although he appeared to acknowledge in his speech that some allies see the end of the war differently.
“We hear the word ‘negotiations’ from partners and the word ‘justice’ much less often. Ukraine is open to diplomacy, but it is honest.”
His plan proposed creating a “comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrent package” inside Ukraine to protect against Russian threats and destroy its military power. He did not go into detail, but said there was an additional secret annex that he could not reveal.
He added that the plan also envisions a Western role in investing in Ukraine’s natural mineral resources and jointly protecting them from Russian attacks as well as post-war reconstruction pledges.
The plan represents a major test of the political will of Kiev’s key allies, who have pumped billions of dollars in weapons to support Ukraine, while overcoming fears of “escalation” in the war against a country with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal.
NATO said Ukraine was moving toward membership, but stopped short of extending an invitation. NATO’s new Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, said the plan was a strong signal, but he was unable to support it as a whole in light of the current situation.
The Kremlin said that it was too early to comment in detail, but that Kiev needed to “wake up” and realize the futility of the policies it is pursuing.
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Russia’s war efforts have been strengthened thanks to what Zelensky described as transfers of weapons and personnel from North Korea. Earlier this year, the West and Ukraine said that Iran had sent close-range ballistic missiles to Russia, something Moscow denied.
A Ukrainian government official told Global News on background that the alleged actions by North Korea and Iran are “extremely serious” and add urgency to ensuring an end to the conflict.
“It is really time for partners to make decisions to make sure Ukraine wins the war,” the official said.
He added: “Unfortunately, Russia is not ready to participate in any diplomatic solution at the present time. So, having this victory plan (in addition to) having the peace formula and the peace summit, we think it can really make a difference.
Outnumbered by Russian forces, the exhausted Ukrainian army is struggling to find a way to prevent Russian forces from advancing east, seizing one ruined village after another and threatening the logistical center of Pokrovsk.
Deep uncertainty caused by the impending change of power in the United States has made the situation even more difficult, and the November election may push Donald Trump, who has consistently questioned aid to Ukraine, into the White House.
The former Republican president has pledged to quickly end the war before taking office if he is re-elected, an idea that Kiev’s supporters fear would entail crushing concessions in the name of a quick agreement.
Zelensky said it was necessary for Kyiv’s partners to remain united.
He reiterated his request, which he made months ago, for Western support to launch long-range strikes against Russia, and spoke of a “clear list of weapons,” the necessary air defenses, and the importance of continuing its operations in Russia, in reference to Kiev’s sudden incursion. In the Kursk region of Russia in August.
He added: “If we start moving forward with this victory plan now, we may be able to end the war by next year at the latest.”
Zelensky said he would travel to the European Union leaders’ summit in Brussels on Thursday to present his plan. He is also scheduled to attend a NATO defense ministers’ meeting on Thursday.
He had already met with US President Joe Biden in Washington at the end of last September to discuss the matter. On a subsequent whirlwind tour of Europe, he met with the leaders of Britain, France, Italy and Germany and explained his plan.
Canadian government officials have also been briefed on the plan, said Oleh Nikolenko, Ukraine’s consul general in Toronto.
“I would say that the feedback we are receiving now (from all allies) is positive,” he told Global News.
On Wednesday, Biden announced a new $425 million military aid package after speaking with Zelensky the same day. The White House said in a statement that the security package includes air defense capabilities, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles, and critical munitions.
Zelensky’s speech was attended by senior military, intelligence and political leaders, as well as lawmakers, some of whom occasionally stood to applaud, despite criticism from some lawmakers.
Oleksiy Honcharenko said the plan seemed “totally unrealistic”: “We have put almost everything on the shoulders of our partners. What demands do we make of ourselves?”
Ukrainian officials say the country is “already doing the toughest job” by fighting Russian forces on behalf of its allies.
“We are paying the highest price,” Nikolenko said. “But we also realize that victory requires joint efforts, not just Ukraine’s efforts, because we are fighting a larger and stronger opponent (and that) also requires support from international partners.”
Roman Lozinsky, a lawmaker from Zelensky’s party, said it sounded “fantasy” but such previous requests – such as F-16 jets or Storm Shadow missiles – once seemed unrealistic but have nonetheless achieved results.
Zelensky’s speech sought to convince an exhausted public that the war could end soon and to stress the importance of ordinary Ukrainians remaining united as the challenges of war pile up.
He added: “We have achieved and are achieving results in battles thanks to our unity. So, please do not lose unity.”
—With additional files from Global News
