Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's winning plan includes bringing Ukraine into NATO and replacing U.S. forces with veteran Ukrainian troops in outposts across Europe.
President Zelensky presented the plan to Ukraine's parliament on Wednesday, calling for peace with greater support from Ukraine's Western allies.
His requests include an invitation to NATO, the international organization created by President Vladimir Putin as a means to counter Russia, which he views as an existential threat.
Many believe that President Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022 because of the threat of NATO expansion. President Putin has long said he will not hold peace talks unless Ukraine withdraws from the NATO alliance.
Ukraine's defense minister is confident that it can replenish its forces, but needs weapons and equipment from allies
According to Zelenskiy, if Ukraine is not admitted to NATO, it may begin developing nuclear weapons.
”In a conversation with Donald TrumpI told him this is what will happen,” Zelenskyy said in Ukrainian during a speech at the European Council in Brussels.
“The result is either Ukraine becomes a nuclear power, it protects us, or we need some kind of alliance. Apart from NATO, today we have no effective alliance. i don't know.”
He proposed putting Ukraine in charge of Europe's security, with its military history, and forcing out the U.S. military.
President Zelensky said, “If both countries agree, we envision replacing some of the U.S. forces stationed in Europe with Ukrainian troops after the war.'' “The Ukrainians have proven that Russian evil can be an unconquerable force.”
President Zelensky's victory plan includes bringing Ukraine into NATO. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The United States has about 100,000 troops stationed across Europe.
In Ukraine, where there is a manpower shortage, the average age of frontline soldiers is 43 years old. The dire need for new recruits has led military recruiters to raid concert halls, bars and restaurants in search of young men between the ages of 25 and 60. Compliance with their conscription into the army.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte did not say whether he would encourage member states to invite Kyiv to NATO, but reiterated that Russia has no say in who joins NATO.
“The Victory Plan is not just about an invitation to join NATO. There are many more elements to the Victory Plan,” Rutte told reporters on Wednesday. “The next step is [are] Not just on this issue, but on the general content of a winning plan. ”
Putin warns NATO risks war with Russia if ban on long-range attacks on Ukraine is lifted
He also cited long-range weapons given to Ukraine to allow the military to strike deep into Russia, provide more training and air defense capabilities, and prevent allies from shooting down drones and missiles over Ukrainian territory. He once again called for the removal of all restrictions on the
President Zelenskiy's new plan comes as he continues to plead with the European Union to release tens of billions of dollars in aid that has been on hold for more than a year. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has blocked $7.1 billion in transfers to Kiev, said Mr Zelensky's plan was “more than horrifying”.
The civil war in Ukraine will be approaching three years in February. (Reuters/Evhen Titov)
“The strategy is not working because we are losing this war,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote on Facebook. “But this does not mean we need more wars, more dangerous and long-range weapons. It does mean we need to shift from a strategy of war to a strategy of peace. It’s necessary!”
President Zelensky visited Washington last month to appeal to lawmakers for unrestricted use of the U.S. ATACMS and other long-range missiles, but the Biden administration has no plans to lift the ban, fearing it would cross the Kremlin's red line. He said no.
Zelenskiy claims that Ukraine's attack on the Russian territory of Kursk is evidence of Putin's bluff.
“Operation Kursk showed us that President Putin does not have the strength to withstand on his own when we attack really hard,” Zelenskiy said.
This photo shows damaged houses after an air raid in the Odessa region, Ukraine, on August 26, 2024. (Olexandr Gimanov/AFP via Getty Images)
“If we start working now on this winning plan, it may be possible to end the war by next year at the latest,” President Zelenskiy told parliament. he is presenting 5 point plan It was submitted to the European Council on Thursday.
President Zelensky also said he had asked the leaders of the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom to support non-nuclear strategic deterrence, which he said would force Russia into a diplomatic process to end the war. did.
He also proposed that the European Union and US partners sign a special agreement to purchase Ukraine's key resources, such as lithium, gas and titanium, to strengthen economic development.
Some Ukrainian politicians see the plan as an unrealistic wish list.
“It's just a series of slogans and nothing more,” Oleksiy Honcharenko, an opposition lawmaker from European Solidarity, said in a Facebook post. “This plan seems to require other people to do everything for us.”
Roman Rosinsky, a Ukrainian military officer and member of the liberal Kholos party, called the plan a “fantasy.”
“On the one hand, this plan sounds like a fantasy. On the other hand, the Patriot, Storm Shadow, and F-16 were once as fantastic as sinking most of the Russian Federation's Black Sea Fleet.” And Kursk Our ability to control parts of the world depends on the decisions of our partners and the success of our diplomacy. ” Rozinski said.
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However, it added that President Zelensky “did not explain how he intends to achieve the implementation of these items.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the plan “temporary” and said: “Kiev needs to calm down and admit that there is no prospects for policy.”
