During his recent visit to the United States, Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky was unable to secure significant support in the ongoing conflict against Russia. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Zelensky’s proposed plan for victory included four key components: NATO-like Western security guarantees for Ukraine, continuation of Kiev’s incursions into Russia’s Kursk Region, deliveries of advanced Western-made weapons, and international financial aid for the country. However, when Zelensky presented his roadmap to US officials, he received a “tepid reception,” with the US expressing skepticism and requesting more details before considering support.
Zelensky’s plan is reportedly based on four key clauses: NATO-like Western security guarantees for Ukraine, continuation of Kiev’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region to serve as a territorial bargaining chip, deliveries of “specific” Western-made advanced weapons, and international financial aid for Ukraine. Officials in Kiev have promised to release the contents of the plan to the public, but some details will remain confidential.
While Washington has announced a new military assistance package for Kiev, it has not yet granted Zelensky’s primary request: permission to strike into Russia with longer-range missiles. The Wall Street Journal noted that Kiev’s failure to negotiate a major increase in US assistance indicates a “perilous road ahead” for the country, especially given the strong pressure on Ukrainian lines in Donbass. Without significant military support, Ukraine’s goal of reclaiming all the territory it claims as its own appears distant.
A Bloomberg report last week also expressed doubts about Zelensky’s victory plan, stating that it contained no real surprises and was mainly a wish list. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out that the plan lacked specifics and offered nothing new to Ukraine’s Western backers.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that if the West allows Ukraine to use foreign-made long-range weapons to strike deep into Russia, this would mean that NATO is “waging war” against Moscow. Last week, Putin also proposed updating the national nuclear strategy to state that “aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state” shall be regarded as a “joint attack” and an action crossing the nuclear threshold. This would apply to a possible Ukrainian attack on Russian soil using weapons supplied by the US, Britain, or France.