Ukraine’s Victory Plan, Western Allies Reserve Their Attitudes Poll- 57% of Ukrainians favor peace talks with Russia
During a significant meeting in Brussels on October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in discussions with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, and European Council President Charles Michel. This summit followed Zelensky’s announcement in Parliament the previous day regarding his “Victory Plan” aimed at ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Key points of this plan include a request for immediate NATO membership and the establishment of strategic deterrence, rather than the deployment of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
In his address to Parliament, Zelensky emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “We must work with our partners to change the circumstances and bring this war to an end, forcing Russia to achieve peace. If we start implementing this plan now, we could potentially conclude this war by next year.” He underscored that the success of the plan depends on the support from Ukraine’s international allies.
This was Zelensky’s first address to the Ukrainian Parliament this year, broadcasted live to the public. As reported by The New York Times, this move is seen as an effort to rally support internally and alleviate what has been described as “war fatigue” among Ukrainians. According to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in August, 57% of Ukrainians believe that negotiations with Moscow are necessary.
A primary focus of Zelensky’s “Victory Plan” is to secure an invitation for NATO membership. He remarked, “We understand that membership will come in the future, not now, but an invitation from NATO would make Putin aware that his geopolitical calculations are heading for failure.”
Additional components of the plan include lifting restrictions on the use of foreign-supplied weapons, continuing military operations within Russian territory by Ukrainian forces, establishing non-nuclear strategic deterrence in Ukraine, collaborating with Western partners to exploit Ukraine’s mineral resources, and post-conflict plans for the Ukrainian military to assume roles currently held by American troops stationed in Europe. The plan notably rejects any territorial concessions.
In response to Zelensky’s proposal, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that it would only push NATO toward direct conflict with Russia, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the initiative “a futile and short-lived plan.”
While presenting this plan in Brussels, Zelensky sought the backing of EU and NATO leaders. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated the U.S. commitment to support Ukraine “on the battlefield.” However, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith indicated that it is not yet the right time for NATO to consider issuing an invitation to Ukraine. She remarked, “NATO’s position on this is very clear. At the 75th anniversary summit this summer, we stated that Ukraine is ‘on an irreversible path’ to accession, and will eventually become a member of the alliance. But at this moment, we are not at the stage of discussing an invitation in the near term.”
NATO’s newly appointed Secretary-General, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, refrained from expressing support for the plan, merely stating that when the time is right, Ukraine’s accession to NATO will be irreversible.
In a related development, President Biden spoke with President Zelensky on October 16, announcing a new military aid package for Ukraine valued at $425 million. Since Russia’s invasion began nearly two years and eight months ago, the U.S. has provided a total of $175 billion in military and economic assistance to Ukraine, including over $64 billion in military aid alone.
Moreover, Zelensky revealed on October 17 that during a meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump in September, he conveyed to Trump the necessity for Ukraine to join NATO, or else consider pursuing nuclear capabilities for self-defense.
