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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
/
Zelensky unveils ‘Victory Plan’ after failing to drum up additional
support from allies
By Lauren Kent, Kostya Gak and Svitlana Vlasova, CNN
Updated:
9:09 AM EDT, Wed October 16, 2024
Source: CNN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented his long-anticipated
“Victory Plan” to Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday, after failing
to drum up additional, tangible support last week during meetings with
European allies.
The plan, which consists of five points and three additional
“secret” points shared only with certain partners, would be a
bridge toward future peace talks with Russia, Zelensky told lawmakers
in Kyiv, as he aims to bolster Ukraine’s position enough to end the
war.
At the heart of Zelensky’s plan is Ukraine’s desire for an
invitation to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which
would be a precursor to full NATO membership, but something that
Ukraine’s allies have been cool on with the country still at war with
Russia.
It also outlines provisions to strengthen Ukraine’s defense,
implement a non-nuclear strategic deterrence package and grow
Ukraine’s economy.
“If we start implementing this Victory Plan now, we may be able to
end the war no later than next year,” Zelensky said in a plea to his
own lawmakers and more crucially, Ukraine’s backers abroad.
But many of the provisions in the plan have already been floated by
Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president first presented the victory plan to US
President Joe Biden during a September visit to the White House. The
Biden administration ordered a for Ukraine during that visit and
unveiled a , but stopped short of meeting Kyiv’s demands for
permission to strike deeper into Russia.
Biden has repeatedly said the US and allies “have to support Ukraine
on its path to membership to both the EU and to NATO, and to continue
to make reforms to counter corruption,” but an invitation to join has
not yet been extended.
In the lead-up to his public announcement this week, Zelensky discussed
the peace plan with leaders in the United Kingdom, France, Italy,
Germany and the head of NATO – a tour that ended without any
countries publicly supporting the plan.
Commenting on Ukraine’s victory plan on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman
Dmitry Peskov said a true peace plan would require Kyiv to “sober
up” and realize “the futility of the policy they are pursuing.”
Five-point plan
The first point of Zelensky’s peace plan is a call for Ukraine to
become a member of NATO and ultimately the European Union – two
alliances Kyiv has long been pushing to join.
Secondly, his plan outlines proposals to strengthen Ukraine’s
defense, including improving air defense systems and reiterating a
push for allies to ease restrictions around the use of long-range
missiles to hit targets deep inside Russia – something the US
The proposals come as Ukraine is facing setbacks on the eastern
frontline, with Russia claiming incremental advancements in the Donetsk
region and continuing to attack Ukrainian cities with drone and missile
strikes. Ukraine is focused on preparing for winter, as it faces
renewed Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure.
On Wednesday, Zelensky also called for “joint defense operations with
our neighbors in Europe to shoot down Russian missiles and drones
within the range of our partners’ air shield.” However, then-NATO
secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg in July, saying the bloc would not
become part of the conflict.
The plan also calls for the continuation of Ukraine’s operations in
Russia’s Kursk region, which experts have called an important for
Kyiv as it rejects calls to concede its own territory.
Zelensky reiterated on Wednesday that Ukraine will not accept a
“freeze” or concessions “trading Ukraine’s territory or
sovereignty.” Russia has been seeking to capture Ukraine’s eastern
Donetsk region.
“We hear the word ‘negotiations’ from our partners, and the word
‘justice’ is much less frequently used. Ukraine is open to
diplomacy, but to honest diplomacy,” Zelensky said. “That is why we
have the Peace Formula. It is a guarantee of negotiations without
forcing Ukraine to accept injustice. Ukrainians deserve a decent
peace.”
The plan also includes a new proposal for deploying a “comprehensive
non-nuclear strategic deterrence package on its soil that will be
sufficient to protect Ukraine from any military threat from Russia,”
Zelensky said, arguing that a strong deterrent would force Russia to
“join an honest diplomatic process to bring the war to a just end,”
or be guaranteed to lose its war.
He did not give further details about what a non-nuclear deterrent
would look like in practice, though.
Zelensky’s final pillars for peace are to grow Ukraine’s economic
potential and look ahead to a post-war plan. Zelensky argued that the
strength and experience of Ukraine’s military could be used to
strengthen European defense after the war and eventually replace
certain US forces in Europe.
CNN’s Clare Sebastian and Anna Chernova contributed to this report.
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