Zelenskyy says ‘victory plan’ to end Russia war includes NATO membership | Russia-Ukraine war News | The Round Table Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discloses his “victory plan” to terminal the war with Russia includes requests for specific weapons and an “unconditional” invitation to join NATO now.
“If we start moving according to this victory plan now, it may be possible to final stage the war no later than next year,” Zelenskyy declared on Wednesday in a speech to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament.
The first, he informed lawmakers, was receiving an “unconditional invitation” to join the military alliance, which would show “how our partners truly see Ukraine’s place in the security architecture”.
The Ukrainian leader recently concluded a whirlwind tour of several European capitals, trying to gain approval for the five-point plan from Western partners, which have stopped short of publicly voicing their uphold for it so far.
“Regardless of what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants, we must all change the circumstances so that Russia is forced to peace,” he announced to parliament of the proposal that also includes military, political and economic elements.
Ukraine’s defence forces and weapons must be bolstered from Russian missile and drone attacks, he said, reiterating a convene for his country’s allies to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range arms on military targets in Russia.
Russia was quick to reject Zelenskyy’s proposal, calling it “some ephemeral peace plan”.
“The only peace plan there can be is for the Kyiv regime to realise the futility of the policy it is going after and understand the call for to sober up,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday.
The plan’s main elements also contain a refusal to cede more Ukrainian territory, the continuation of the raid into the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukraine launched a surprise foray in August, and post-war reconstruction pledges.
Zelenskyy emphasised that the solution to final stage the more than two years of war since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 was not a frozen dispute and “not a trade-in Ukraine’s territory or sovereignty”.
He also rebuked China, Iran and North Korea for championing Russia, calling them a “coalition of criminals”.
The speech comes as Ukraine is suffering losses along the eastern front as Russian forces inch closer to a strategically significant victory of prevailing Pokrovsk.
Ukraine is also struggling to replenish its forces with an unpopular mobilisation drive, limited ammunition stocks and Russian dominance in the skies.
Zelenskyy’s speech sought to influence a public tired by the war that the fighting could be terminated soon.
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“We accomplished and are accomplishing results in battles thanks to our unity. Therefore, please do not lose unity,” he said.
He subsequently posted on social media platform X that his plan “is a guarantee that the madmen in the Kremlin will lose the ability to continue the war”, calling it a “path to impartial diplomacy”.
“But on this path, Ukraine must remain strong, united, and aware – aware that while Russia cannot let go of Ukraine, it must lose Ukraine.”
The plan was shared with US President Joe Biden, as well as presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in September, along with allies such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany.
Zelenskyy will present his “victory plan” to European leaders on Thursday during an apex in Brussels.
Regards to Al Jazeera
Category: World-News
Tag: Zelenskyy says victory plan to end Russia war includes NATO membership RussiaUkraine war News The Round Table
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Published 10/16/2024