Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled his plan to win the war against Russia to the parliament in Kyiv on Wednesday, reiterating his desire to see the country join NATO — a move his Western allies are likely to be cautious of.
In a speech to Ukraine's parliament, Zelenskyy outlined the first point of his five-point plan: Ukraine's admittance into the alliance amid Russia's war against its neighbour.
Zelenskyy said granting Ukraine membership in the alliance would be a “testament of (allies') determination” to support Ukraine.
However, the suggestion is unlikely to be popular with Ukraine's Western allies, who fear that allowing Ukraine into the alliance while fighting continues could trigger NATO's collective security guarantee and thus drag supporting countries into a war with Russia.
NATO's 32 members declared Ukraine on an "irreversible" path to NATO membership at their summit in Washington in July, although in reality any decision on offering to start membership talks is likely to be prolonged.
In his speech, Zelenskyy publicly hinted for the first time that Western support for Ukraine might be waning.
In private talks with Kyiv, its Western partners are increasingly talking about “negotiations” with Russia and much less frequently using the word “justice” in conversations about the war, he said.
Ukraine's allies are increasingly taken up with a spiralling conflict in the Middle East and domestic political concerns, particularly in the US as it gears up for a pivotal election that could usher in a major shift in its Ukraine policy.
Lukewarm reception from Western allies
The so-called "victory plan" is considered by many as Ukraine’s last resort to strengthen its hand in any future cease-fire negotiations with Russia.
His outline of the plan comes after a tour of the proposal to various Western allies, who were less than enthused about its ideas.
No country however has thus far publicly endorsed or commented on it, with several European leaders presented with Zelenskyy's proposals as he toured European capitals from London to Berlin.
None gave indication they would support the plan, with some expressing concerns over the tight deadline set by Zelenskyy, who gave allies just three months to adopt the blueprint’s main tenets in late September.
Zelenskyy is set to present the plan to the European Council on Thursday, according to President Charles Michel.
US President Joe Biden, to whom Zelenskyy first promoted the plan on a tour of the US, has also not given much public encouragement.
Although the Ukrainian leader has generally kept quiet about the details of the plan, some aspects of it have come to light.
Making Ukraine a member of NATO; allowing the country to use Western long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russia; providing resources to strengthen Ukraine's air and other defences, and intensifying sanctions against Russia are all core elements of the plan.
Zelenskyy has said that the plan is necessary for Ukraine to begin the process to negotiate peace, also mentioning its path to post-war recovery.
The leader wants to put the “victory plan” in place before a new US president is sworn in next year, following remarks from presidential candidate Donald Trump that he would cut or significantly reduce funding to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader's presentation of the plan to the country's Parliament, announced on Monday by advisor to Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Serhii Leshchenko, comes as the country's military is suffering heavy losses along its eastern front as Russian forces inch closer to the eastern city of Pokrovsk.
Kyiv has long been militarily outnumbered by Moscow, with limited ammunition stocks and difficulty mobilising troops to fight in the war.
Milton postpones Ramstein
Ukrainian officials were expecting feedback from Western allies at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, during which defence leaders from 50-plus partner nations gather to coordinate weapons aid for the war.
Scheduled for this past weekend, the summit was postponed after Biden cancelled his attendance in response to Hurricane Milton in the US
Although the US has been one of Kyiv's main backers, Biden has been less supportive of using long-range weapons to strike Russia, fearing a possible escalation.
Many expect Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris to continue Biden’s policy and maintain the status quo. Under Biden, US assistance to Kyiv, though substantial, has consistently arrived too late to make a significant difference for Ukrainian forces.
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