As reported by The Independent, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently revealed his much-awaited "victory plan" to put an end to the invasion led by Vladimir Putin.
This announcement came shortly after Russia launched a barrage of drones into Ukraine.
Zelensky, addressing Ukraine's parliament, expressed confidence that his plan could bring the war, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, to a close by next year.
The plan proposed by Zelensky includes several key points. Most notably, it calls for Ukraine's unconditional accession to NATO, the lifting of restrictions on long-range strikes on Russia using Western-supplied weapons, and a refusal to negotiate over Ukraine's territories currently under Russian control. It also advocates for the continuation of the Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region.
"We must all change the circumstances so that Russia is forced to peace," Zelensky told Ukrainian MPs, emphasizing the need for collective action to end the war, regardless of Putin's intentions. He has consistently advocated for a "fair" end to the war, and believes his plan is necessary to compel the Kremlin to negotiate in good faith.
Zelensky's plan also calls for bolstered defense capabilities and a non-nuclear deterrence to Russian aggression. While he did not provide specific details on what the non-nuclear deterrence would entail, he mentioned that there were three secret addendums to the plan that he could only discuss with Ukraine's allies.
The plan also envisions a Western role in investing in and jointly protecting Ukraine's natural mineral resources from Russian attacks, as well as commitments for post-war reconstruction. This proposal is a significant test for Kyiv's key allies, who have provided substantial support to Ukraine while cautiously avoiding an escalation in a war against a nation with the world's largest nuclear arsenal.
NATO has indicated that Ukraine is on the path to membership but has refrained from issuing a formal invitation. The alliance's new chief, Mark Rutte, acknowledged that Zelensky's plan was a strong signal, but stated that he was unable to support it in its entirety under the current circumstances.
Zelensky also accused North Korea of aiding Russia's war effort by transferring arms and personnel. He referred to Iran, North Korea, and China as a "coalition of criminals" for their support of Russia. Despite Beijing's claims of neutrality over Russia's invasion, it has held several summits with Putin.
The Kremlin responded to Zelensky's plan with dismissive remarks, stating that it was too early to comment on the plan's details and that Zelensky's policies were futile. Zelensky plans to present his victory plan at an EU summit, emphasizing that Ukraine is at war with Russia on multiple fronts, including the battlefield, international relations, the economy, and the information sphere.
In the meantime, Russia has launched scores of drones at Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions. Ukraine's air force reported that 136 attack drones were fired at Ukraine, with 51 destroyed over 14 regions by Ukraine's air defense. The remaining drones either remained in Ukrainian skies or were unaccounted for. These attacks resulted in a "large-scale fire" in the Ternopil region, but no casualties were reported.
Later, the Russian defense ministry claimed to have captured two villages in eastern Ukraine, a claim disputed by the Ukrainian military. The ongoing conflict underscores the urgency of Zelensky's victory plan, which he believes is essential to counter Putin's geopolitical calculations and strengthen Ukraine's defensive capabilities. The plan also calls for a strategic economic agreement between Ukraine, the US, the EU, and other allies for joint investments into Ukraine's natural resources, which Zelensky estimates to be worth trillions of dollars.
As the world watches the unfolding events in Ukraine, the importance of Zelensky's victory plan and the response it elicits from key allies cannot be overstated. The plan's success or failure will have far-reaching implications, not just for Ukraine, but for the global balance of power.
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