Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war to the country’s parliament on Wednesday, calling it the “Victory Plan.” It was reported by the Associated Press that Zelensky told lawmakers that Western allies are increasing pressure in hopes of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, suggesting that such talks would not be favorable to Kyiv.
In the plan unveiled by Zelensky, there are some measures that Ukraine’s allies have been reluctant to take, such as inviting Ukraine to join NATO and allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range missiles to strike deep military targets in Russia. These points form the core of Zelensky’s “Victory Plan.”
Zelensky told the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, on Wednesday, “If we start acting according to this Victory Plan now, we may end the war by no later than next year.”
He is set to submit this five-point plan to the European Council, the EU’s highest decision-making body, on Thursday.
Zelensky also mentioned that allies increasingly bring up the term “negotiation” in private exchanges with Ukraine, while the use of the term “justice” is much less common. He reiterated that Ukraine is not prepared to “freeze the conflict” or engage in any “territorial or sovereignty-related transactions,” earning continued applause from lawmakers.
In recent weeks, Zelensky outlined his plan to major allies like US President Biden, but the plan has remained confidential. He did not disclose more sensitive contents of the plan to lawmakers.
The plan is seen as a way for Ukraine to strengthen its own capabilities to negotiate with Russia in the future. In addition to hoping for a NATO invitation and permission to use longer-range missiles from the West, the plan also calls for continued military operations against Russia, such as the cross-border attacks on Russia’s Kursk region in August.
Zelensky stated that Ukraine also needs allies to provide more air defense systems and assistance to shoot down Russian missiles, and urges allies to share broader intelligence coverage.
Following the plan’s announcement, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has not made a clear statement on it.
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, he told reporters, “We are closely in touch with allies and Ukraine to see how to take the next steps.”
He declined to provide details, saying, “I cannot offer all insights on this plan to you.”
Zelensky is seeking support from allies for the plan, but so far, no Western partner has openly expressed support.