Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined a strategic plan for Ukraine’s victory, emphasizing the crucial role of the United States in strengthening Ukraine’s position and bringing the war to a just conclusion. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy (YES) forum, Zelensky revealed key aspects of his plan, which he intends to present to US President Joe Biden and presidential candidates.
“All points in this plan depend on Biden’s decision, not Putin’s,” Zelensky stated, underscoring the importance of US support. He added, “This plan will strengthen Ukraine, our soldiers, and citizens. These are very important things.”
The Ukrainian leader plans to share his strategy with both potential US presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, ahead of the fall 2024 elections. Zelensky clarified that physical meetings aren’t necessary to discuss these plans.
Zelenskyy’s address came just following the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to Ukraine when they were expected to discuss the following Ukrainian plans in its defense against Russian aggression and lifting Western restrictions on the use of their weapons against strikes on the Russian territory.
Addressing the current military situation, Zelenskyy emphasized significant delays in promised weapons supplies from Ukraine’s partners:
“We have been talking with partners for months about this – about equipping our brigades. I am grateful to all leaders, all states that have taken on responsible commitments and are truly fulfilling them on time. But, to be honest, we are still far from fully implementing what we agreed upon long ago.”
He said the same situation applies to promised air defense systems:
“And when you speak at meetings – important, closed, various – with partners: we need air defense, it’s hard, very hard to hear each time in response: ‘We are working on it.’ Russian missiles and Iranian-supplied ‘Shaheds’ are, unfortunately, also working during this time, but they’re working in our skies and against our people. And Putin doesn’t need any permissions, any approvals for long-range capabilities.“
Zelensky reported on Russian offensive actions in the Kursk region. “Russians have started their rapid offensive actions in the Kursk direction, wanting to use about 60-70 thousand people there. We know about 40 thousand who are there,” he said. However, he noted that despite these efforts, Russian forces hadn’t achieved significant success, praising Ukrainian soldiers for their resistance.
Zelensky also highlighted the interconnectedness of military operations, pointing out how the Kursk operation has affected the intensity of shelling in Donbas. “For example, we can see that the use of shells in Donbas, in Pokrovsk, before the start of the Kursk operation was 1 to 12… today it’s 1 to 2.5,” he explained.
The President outlined two “fair ways” to end the war: forcefully expelling the occupying forces or through a diplomatic process ensuring complete liberation of Ukrainian territories. He stressed the importance of strong positions for Ukraine in either scenario, again emphasizing the potential role of the United States.
Zelensky criticized the lack of international action against Russian and Iranian weapons targeting Ukraine. “If allies together shoot down missiles and drones in the skies of the Middle East, why is there still no similar decision on jointly shooting down Russian missiles and Iranian Shaheds in the skies of Ukraine?” he questioned, calling it “humiliating for the strong democratic world.”
He said, indecisiveness leads to the continuation of the war and numerous deaths, while Putin can safely continue its aggression:
“Now is the third year of this full-scale war. And after so many killings, after so much destruction in Ukraine, after so many Russian war crimes, after so many terrorist strikes, Putin can still afford to destroy lives in Ukraine as he pleases, can buy and produce missiles, bombs and artillery, can even afford to issue ultimatums to the world. And he expects – expects that the world will give in to him, to his madness.“
In conclusion, he reiterated the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s position for a just peace. “If we all want to hear the words ‘peace has finally come, a just peace in Ukraine’ one day, then we must already hear that Ukraine has become strong enough – strong enough for victory. And this will be a guarantee of peace,” he stated.
The President’s remarks underscore Ukraine’s determination to achieve a favorable outcome in the conflict, with a clear emphasis on international support, particularly from the United States, as a key factor in reaching this goal.
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