On Thursday, October 17, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented a plan for Ukraine’s victory over Russia at a meeting of the European Council in Brussels.
The President’s participation in the European Council meeting was broadcast by the Office of the President, Suspilne reports.
The goal of the plan is to strengthen not only Ukraine but also our entire community, the Euro-Atlantic community. You all know the psychology of Russia, and I think some of you know very well that Russia will resort to diplomacy only when it sees that it will not achieve anything by force. This plan is exactly what is needed. And we must create the right conditions to end this war, – Zelenskyy said.
The first point of the plan is to invite Ukraine to NATO.
Ukraine is a democratic state, it has proven that it can defend the Euro-Atlantic region and our common way of life. Moreover, for decades, Russia has been exploiting geopolitical uncertainty due to Ukraine’s absence from NATO. Now it would be crucial to invite Ukraine to NATO immediately. Of course, membership will come later, – the president emphasized.
According to Zelenskyy, Putin should see that his geopolitical calculations are worthless.
This is a strong decision that only requires determination. Moreover, yesterday in our parliament I said that the invitation now symbolizes much more than just NATO. And this is true. For Ukraine, decisiveness on NATO also means the inevitability of European integration for Ukraine and the undeniable path of democracy in Ukraine. The invitation will strengthen our diplomatic position. And this will be one of the main arguments to stop the war, – Zelenskyy said.
The second point of the plan is defense.
We must continue to put pressure on Russia on the battlefield. And it is realistic to hold positions on the front on the territory of Ukraine, as well as to bring the war back to Russia so that Russians can feel what war is and start hating Putin for it. This is also pressure, – Zelenskyy said.
He explained that there is a clear list of weapons that can make this possible.
And with the Kursk operation, we showed that Putin lacks the strength to hold on when we really put pressure. Therefore, we need to arm our brigades, remove all restrictions, invest in Ukrainian defense, industrial base, and joint production, and saturate Ukraine with air defense as soon as possible, – the president said.
The third point in the plan is deterrence.
Third, real pressure. We propose to place a deterrence package on Ukrainian soil that will either force Russia to engage in genuine peace talks or allow its army to be destroyed. This is a peace through threats approach to this point. We are talking about an appropriate package of missiles. And we have provided all the details to our partners who can do this. These are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany. And, of course, we want to share it with all the leaders who are ready to support it, – Zelenskyy explained.
The fourth point is the development of Ukraine’s strategic and economic potential and strengthening of sanctions.
The President of Ukraine also noted that Ukraine has critical resources and Russia wants to take them away. And this includes titanium, uranium, lithium, graphite, manganese, and much more, which should not fall into the hands of Russia or its allies.
The enemies of the free world should not gain any advantages in global competition. Ukraine proposes that the key partners of the EU, the US and our common world of partners conclude a special agreement to protect Ukraine’s critical resources, jointly invest and channel the relevant economic potential for our common growth. And this agreement should include strong enough sanctions to prevent Russia from outplaying us, – the President said.
Fifth point – Ukraine’s experience to strengthen NATO and European defense
After the war is over, the Ukrainian military can use its experience to strengthen the defense of NATO and Europe, according to the president. The US contingent will be able to replace the Ukrainian military.
But for this, of course, we need to win, – the president added.
Zelenskyy emphasized that the victory plan is a bridge to a successful second peace summit. And it will protect not only Ukraine, but also the Baltic States, Northern Europe and Poland, the Balkans, and other regions.
At the same time, we ask you not to ease the sanctions pressure on Russia. It really helps. And we appreciate the joint work with you on the development of defense production, – the President said.
He added that investments and production mergers are very much needed.
Ukraine is grateful for all forms of your support, for your resilience. And this includes support for our energy sector on the eve of winter, and especially for our people. Financial assistance that helps us meet the basic needs of Ukrainians. And your political decision on 35 billion euros for Ukraine as part of the G7 resolution on $50 billion from Russian assets is extremely important and needed as soon as possible. Russia must pay and be held accountable for the destruction it has caused. Together, we can and must bring peace closer, – Zelenskyy said in Brussels.
In the morning, Zelenskyy announced that he was flying to Brussels for a meeting of the European Council, where he would present a plan for Ukraine’s victory. He also announced meetings in the European Parliament with President Roberta Mecola and heads of political groups. In particular, a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is planned. He also added that the Ukrainian side is preparing for a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of defense ministers.
The day before, Zelenskyy presented a victory plan to the Ukrainian parliament. He noted that the document contains points calculated in detail in time, and if everything goes according to plan, the war could be over by the end of 2025.
