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Zelenskyy Reveals First Phase of Ukraine's 'Victory Plan'
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Above: Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (R) attend the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit in Dubrovnik, Croatia on Oct. 09, 2024. Image copyright: Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu/Contributor via Getty Images
The Facts
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday revealed his first step toward the country's vision for peace — or what he has labeled its "victory plan" — remaining tight-lipped about it since last month's meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in which the plan was briefed.
Speaking alongside Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković at the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit in Dubrovnik on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said: "The first step of the plan focuses on whether the problem of geopolitical uncertainty in Europe will be resolved — whether Ukraine will get a seat in NATO."
The Spin
Pro-Ukraine narrative
If Ukraine becomes a properly confirmed member of NATO, it will show Russian Pres. Putin that he will lose from a geopolitical point of view. As Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy said, Russia must recognize that Europe has borders and independent states, and everyone has the right to choose their own future.
Pro-Russia narrative
Dragging Ukraine into the NATO military alliance is what started this whole conflict in the first place, particularly NATO's cultivation of Ukrainian nationalism that resulted in a violation of rights against the country's Russian-speaking citizens. Without eliminating the root cause of the conflict, it's impossible to achieve a fair settlement.
