Ukrainian President Zelensky unveils `Victory Plan`

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, reports CNN.

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 surge of additional assistance for Ukraine during that visit and unveiled a $375 million aid package, 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._Agencies.