What do allies hope for in Mr. Zelensky's "Victory Plan"?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in the US to present his “winning plan” to end the war with Russia. A series of high-level meetings are scheduled during his visit – coming at a crucial time as the US election looms.

Although the details of the “victory plan” were not made public, Mr Zelensky appeared confident that Russia would be forced to end the fighting “by diplomatic means” once the West accepted the plan.

Meanwhile, Western officials speaking to Bloomberg on September 24 had low expectations for the plan that Mr. Zelensky will present in New York this week, saying they did not see it as opening a breakthrough in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Bloomberg cited an official familiar with Mr Zelensky’s conversations with foreign leaders as saying there were no real surprises in the Ukrainian leader’s “victory plan” and that it was not a major change. Another official described it as a “wish list”.

Mr. Zelensky at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 23, 2024. Photo: Getty Images

The bleak assessment of the plan underscores a deepening sense of pessimism among allies as the war drags on into its third year, the US news agency noted. Allies also fear that support for Ukraine will wane if Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump returns to power after the US presidential election, which takes place in six weeks.

At least one of the allies has suggested that it is time for a new round of outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin, either by Mr. Zelensky or by other countries, two officials told Bloomberg.

There is no sign that the Kremlin plans to back down, according to the first official, and allies are also discussing the possibility of direct access to Mr Putin ahead of a meeting of G20 leaders in Brazil scheduled for November.

In New York, Mr. Zelensky is preparing to present his plan on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). A second official told Bloomberg that while allies want to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” the Ukrainian leader needs to clarify what peace might look like.

Mr Zelensky told reporters on September 20 that the plan was aimed at putting his country in a stronger position for future diplomatic talks with Russia. Kiev fears that a ceasefire without clear guarantees would give Moscow time to rearm and resume military operations.

“The Victory Plan envisages rapid and concrete steps by our strategic partners – from now until the end of December,” Zelensky said, stressing that his plan included a small number of points and that “all of these points depend on the decisions of US President Joe Biden, not Mr. Putin.”

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff of the Ukrainian president, told the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York on September 23 that the plan includes Ukraine seeking an invitation to join the NATO alliance and encouraging partners to ignore Russia's escalating threats.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that if the details of the “victory plan” were officially announced, “we would study and discuss it in detail.”

“We believe that one should not analyze media reports. If information about it (Zelensky’s plans) appears in official sources, of course we will carefully consider it. There is a lot of contradictory and unreliable information out there, so we are very cautious about this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Minh Duc (According to Bloomberg, The Week India)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/dong-minh-hy-vong-gi-vao-ke-hoach-chien-thang-cua-ong-zelensky-204240925101818453.htm