Zelenskyy outlines’victory plan’ for Ukraine but says Western partners are pressuring to negotiate with Russia
PBS NewsHour6 hrs
Zelenskyy Unveils Ukraine's 'Victory Plan'
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Above: Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Oct. 11, 2024, in Berlin, Germany. Image copyright: Carsten Koall/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday presented his long-awaited "victory plan" — his vision for pressuring Russia into seeking negotiations to end the war on terms favorable to his country.
Since first speaking of a "victory plan" in August, Zelenskyy has remained publicly tight-lipped about it but briefed it to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken when the latter visited Kyiv in September. Zelenskyy went on to brief further Biden admin. officials on the plans during a visit to the US later in the month.
The Spin
Pro-Ukraine narrative
If Ukraine becomes a properly confirmed member of NATO, it will show Russian Pres. Putin that he will be lost 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.
