President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told lawmakers Wednesday that Ukraine’s Western partners are increasing pressure to negotiate with Russia, but he hinted such talks would be unfavorable to Kyiv as he unveiled what he called his “victory plan” for the war.
Major points of the plan include an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and permission to use Western-supplied longer-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory — steps that have been met with reluctance by Kyiv's allies so far.
“If we start moving according to this victory plan now, it may be possible to end the war no later than next year,” Zelenskyy told the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament. He will present the five-point plan to the European Council on Thursday.
Zelenskyy also said that in private communications with Ukraine, its partners are increasingly mentioning “negotiations” and much less frequently using the word “justice.”
But he reiterated that Ukraine is not prepared for a “frozen conflict” or any “trade-offs involving territory or sovereignty,” which drew sustained applause from the lawmakers.
As the war grinds through its third year, the mood in Ukraine is grim as its troops face difficulty holding back Russian advances, especially in the east. Although Moscow's gains are incremental, the steady forward movement is making Kyiv feel it needs more large-scale Western help.
But there are signs that support may be hurt by the increasing focus on conflicts in the Middle East. The US presidential election next month also could bring a major shift from Washington toward Ukraine.
Zelenskyy's plan has been shrouded in secrecy as he outlined it to key allies including U.S. President Joe Biden in recent weeks, and he did not mention some of its more confidential parts to the lawmakers.
The plan is seen as a way for Ukraine to strengthen its hand in any negotiations with Moscow. Besides the NATO invitation and seeking permission for the longer-range missile attacks, it includes continued military operations in Russia, such as the incursion into the Kursk border region that began in August.
Ukraine, he said, also needs more air defense systems and assistance from partners to shoot down Russian missiles. It also requested access to a broader range of intelligence from allies.
Lawmakers will prioritize the bills needed to implement Zelenskyy's plan, said Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk after the speech. Stefanchuk said that while the issue of NATO membership is political, it also requires adopting laws to match the alliance's standards.
Zelenskyy’s request for an invitation leaves NATO in a bind. Since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, NATO has struggled to find a way to bring Ukraine closer without formally inviting it in.
“We understand that NATO membership is a matter of the future, not the present," Zelenskyy acknowledged. He reckons that such an invitation would alter President Vladimir Putin's “geopolitical calculations.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte remained noncommittal after the plan was unveiled.
“We are in close contact with allies, with Ukraine, to see how we can take next steps,” Rutte told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels. He declined to provide details, saying: “I cannot give you all the insights about that.”
“We are working with the Ukrainians to understand better … how this would help in ending the war,” he said. For now, Rutte added, the focus must be to help Ukraine to win back more territory and strengthen its position for any future peace negotiations.
Zelenskyy said granting Ukraine an invitation to NATO would be a “testament of determination” by its allies to support Kyiv.
NATO’s collective security guarantee—Article 5 of its founding treaty — is the pillar on which its credibility is based. It is a political commitment by all member countries to come to the aid of any member whose sovereignty or territory might be under attack.
