Zelensky unveiled Ukraine's Victory Plan, consisting of five points: the first is an invitation to NATO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today presented Ukraine's Victory Plan, which consists of five points and includes three classified annexes. He made this announcement on October 16 in the Verkhovna Rada, reports RBC-Ukraine.
"Most of the points are detailed with specific timelines, but this victory plan can only be implemented with the help of our partners", - Zelensky stated.
"Russia must lose. This is not a freeze, it is not a trade-off with sovereignty; we must execute the victory plan and compel russia to be at the Peace Summit", - the president emphasized.
First point - Invitation to NATO
Zelensky pointed out that for decades, russia has exploited geopolitical uncertainty in Europe, specifically the fact that Ukraine is not a NATO member. This has tempted russia to encroach upon Ukrainian security.
"The very fact of an invitation for Ukraine to NATO can be fundamentally crucial for peace. We understand that NATO membership is a matter of the future, not the present. But putin must see that his geopolitical calculations are losing. Russians need to feel that their Tsar has lost geopolitically to the world", - said the president.
He believes that this invitation is a strong decision that requires nothing but determination. Today, it symbolizes much more than just NATO.
"This is why this is the starting point of the Victory Plan. A testament to determination. An unconditional invitation now. This is certainty—how partners truly see Ukraine's place in the security architecture. I ask all of you to work towards partners’ determination to recognize Ukraine as equal to others in the European security architecture", - Zelensky stressed.
Second point - Defense
According to him, this concerns the irreversible strengthening of Ukraine's defense against the aggressor.
"It is realistic to defend our positions on the battlefield in Ukraine while simultaneously bringing the war onto russian territory so that russians genuinely feel what war is like, and — despite russian propaganda — begin to turn their hatred towards the kremlin. We are not naive", - Zelensky said.
He emphasized that there is a clear list of weapons capable of supporting the strength of Ukraine's warriors, and thanks to the Kursk operation, it has been seen that putin does not have enough power to hold on when Ukraine presses hard.
The president shared that the key to implementing this second point of the victory plan is:
- The successful continuation of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine's operations in designated areas of enemy territory to prevent buffer zones on our land;
- The irreversible strengthening of the positions of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine and the destruction of russia's offensive potential on the occupied territory of Ukraine;
- Partner assistance in staffing reserve brigades for the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Elevating Ukraine's air defense to a level sufficient to protect our cities and villages from russian missiles and drones, and joint defensive operations with our European neighbors to shoot down russian missiles and drones within the air shield of partner nations;
- Expanding operations using our Ukrainian missiles and drones, as well as investing in increasing their production in Ukraine;
- Lifting restrictions by partners on the use of long-range weapons on all territory of Ukraine occupied by russia and on russian territory — targeting military infrastructure — and providing Ukraine with appropriate long-range missiles, drones, and other strike means;
- Providing Ukraine with real-time satellite data and information obtained through other intelligence means.
"For each sub-point of the defense point of the victory plan, Ukraine provides partners with clear justifications — what exactly our goals are, how we achieve them, and how much this will reduce russia's ability to continue the war", - Zelensky explained.
He also said that the defense point of the plan has a classified annex — accessible only to those partners who possess the relevant military potential for assistance.
Third point - Deterrence
There is also a classified annex under this point, which has already been provided to the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany. Some additional countries that can contribute to this well-known global concept of deterrence will also receive it, Zelensky revealed.
"Russian leadership acts aggressively only when convinced it will not receive an adequate destructive response. When russia knows that there will be a response and understands what that response will be, they choose negotiations and stable coexistence even with strategic opponents. Because of this, deterring russia from aggression is possible both towards Ukraine and the whole of Europe", - Zelensky said.
He said that Ukraine proposes to host a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package on its territory, which will be sufficient to protect Ukraine from any military threat from russia and will narrow russia's options to the following prospects:
Either join an honest diplomatic process for a fair resolution of the war. Or guarantee the loss of the ability to continue aggressive warfare due to Ukraine's application of the provided deterrence package according to specified military objectives.
"In other words, the deterrence package is the fact that russia either goes into diplomacy or faces the loss of its war machine. Peace through strength. It works equally effectively on both sides of the Atlantic. And this point can be ensured in particular through funding within already established security agreements with partners and defined volumes of financial support", - the president believes.
Fourth point - Strategic economic potential
The president said that Ukraine is home to natural resources, including critically important metals valued at trillions of dollars. This includes uranium, titanium, lithium, graphite, and other strategically valuable resources that will enhance the global competition either of russia and its allies or of Ukraine and the democratic world.
He emphasized that the deposits of critical resources in Ukraine, along with Ukraine's globally important potential in energy and food production, are among russia's key goals in the war. This represents an opportunity for growth.
"Ukraine proposes to the United States, together with designated partners, including the European Union — of which Ukraine will be a part — and other partners worldwide, to conclude a special agreement on the joint protection of critical resources available in Ukraine, joint investment, and utilization of the respective economic potential. This is also peace through strength. Economic strength", - Zelensky said.
In his view, this agreement will organically complement and strengthen the existing system of economic pressure on russia, namely — all existing sanctions, price caps on oil, export restrictions to russia, and other measures of pressure.
Fifth point - Post-war considerations
"After this war, Ukraine will have one of the most experienced and largest military contingents. These are our warriors who will possess real experience of modern warfare, successful experience in using Western weapons, and diverse experience in interacting with NATO militaries", - Zelensky said.
According to him, this Ukrainian experience should be utilized to strengthen the Alliance's defense and ensure security in Europe.
"This is a worthy mission for our heroes. We foresee, with the partners' consent, the replacement of certain military contingents of the US armed forces stationed in Europe with Ukrainian units after the war. Ukrainians have proven that they can be the force that russian evil cannot overcome. And I am grateful to every partner — everyone with whom we have discussed this perspective for the post-war period — for their respect for Ukrainians and our ability to be indomitable in alliance with partners", - he added.