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What is the essence of Zelensky's "victory plan" and how did the world react to it?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially announced his "victory plan." From RBC materials What was its essence and how was it reacted to in Russia and abroad
What does a "winning plan" include?
On October 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke in the Verkhovna Rada and announced the “victory plan” he had been talking about since late summer. It contains five public materials, some of which contain secret appendices that Kyiv has handed over to its partners and will not make public.
geopolitics. An "unconditional invitation" for Ukraine to join NATO until the end of the conflict. Zelensky said it could be the basis for peace and show Russian President Vladimir Putin that "his geopolitical calculations are failing." A decision on this issue would be a signal to Ukraine that European integration is inevitable and there is no alternative to Ukrainian democracy, the Ukrainian leader said.
defense. Ukraine's defense has "irreversibly strengthened." This includes continued Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) operations in parts of Russia, beefing up air defenses, shooting down Russian drones and missiles with partners, and investing in and allowing Ukrainian defense production. West. Long-range weapons on Russian territory, moving such weapons to Kyiv, and satellite data on Russian facilities. There is a secret appendix to this topic. "Partners with the right military support capabilities can get access to this," Zelensky said.
prevention. Deployment of a “comprehensive package of non-nuclear strategic deterrence” in Ukraine, sufficient to protect “against all military threats from Russia.” According to Zelensky, this “deterrence package” will put Moscow in a dilemma. Either turn to diplomacy or lose military power. This branch also has a secret annex. Kyiv has passed it on to the leadership of the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and France.
economy. Kyiv proposes that partners conclude agreements with Ukraine on the joint protection of the country's most important resources, joint investments, and exploitation of Ukraine's economic potential. In particular, this concerns metals such as uranium, titanium, lithium, etc. According to Zelensky, this document will organically complement the sanctions imposed against Russia. There are also secret annexes for "specific partners."
security. This paragraph covers the period after the end of the conflict. Zelensky proposes, with the consent of European partners, to replace Ukrainian units with separate contingents of American troops. According to the President, Ukraine's experience should be used to strengthen NATO's defense and ensure Europe's security.
According to the Associated Press, Zelensky gave Western partners three months to accept the terms of the strategy. So far, no one has given any indication that they will support the plan, and some have already expressed concern about the short deadline for adopting key provisions, the agency reports.
Zelensky first announced his “winning plan” at a press conference in late August 2024. He said he would first present his plans to US President Joe Biden and his vice presidential nominees, Democratic challenger Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. He did so during his visit to the United States during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in September. Zelensky also showed the plan to the leaders of the UK, Germany, Italy and France.
At first, it was unclear what exactly was included in this document. Zelensky himself spoke about it for the first time, giving only a general outline. Commenting on the introduction of Ukrainian troops into the Kursk region, he said that such tactics were part of Ukraine's plan. The second direction is "Ukraine's strategic position in the global security infrastructure," the third is "a strong package of measures that will force Russia to end the war through diplomatic means," and the fourth is economic.
Western media presented a rough outline of the plan for a month and a half. For example, according to The Times, its essence boils down to four things: Western security guarantees for Ukraine, “similar to the mutual defense agreement when joining NATO”; continuation of the operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the Kursk region; requests for “specific” military weapons; International financial support for Kyiv.
How did Ukraine’s Western partners and Russia react to this plan?
Over the past month and a half, Western media outlets have cited sources as reporting on how Kyiv’s partners view the “victory plan.” In late September, The Wall Street Journal quoted senior American and European officials as saying their interlocutors were “not impressed” by the plan and “didn’t see anything new in it.” After Zelensky presented his strategy, the allies gave it no clear public assessment. The U.S. State Department said the Ukraine strategy was not “just a matter of actions” Kyiv could take, but “actions it could take.” “We can take you to other countries in the world.”
After Zelensky's speech in the Rada, the West commented on individual points of the plan, but not the overall strategy. German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's position on Ukraine's NATO membership has not changed and that its essence is that Kyiv will not be invited to join the alliance in the near future.
Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, was more forthright on the issue. “We are not at the point where the alliance can discuss extending invitations in the short term,” she said, adding that Ukraine is on an “irreversible path” to NATO membership. She also addressed Kyiv’s demand that Ukrainian forces be allowed to launch long-range missiles from Russia. The U.S. position on the use of American weapons in this regard has not changed (Washington allows attacks only on the territory of the new region). U.S. leaders “have made it clear that ultimately this is Ukraine’s war. They get to decide how to fight the war. Ultimately, we leave that in their hands.”
In Russia, the US called this "victory plan" a "fake plan" to continue the conflict. "There have been talks about some temporary peace plan for several weeks now... Perhaps this is the same American plan to fight us to the last Ukraine, which Zelensky has now disguised and called "peace." "This is a plan," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. In his opinion, Ukraine's only peace plan is to realize the futility of the government's policy.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the strategy "just an incoherent set of slogans." She assessed Kyiv's proposal to shoot down Russian planes jointly with partners as an attempt to draw NATO into a direct conflict with Moscow. The same applies to permission to use long-range missiles. "If you take all the points and secret sub-points together, this is not Zelensky's "victory plan." This is a plan for the misfortune of Ukraine and its people. All this is to once again extract money and demonstrate their terrorist capabilities," Zakharova concluded.