The U.S. deemed Zelensky’s ‘victory plan’ a ‘failure’ – The Economist

The U.S. has deemed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan” a failure, primarily because it implies an escalation of the conflict.

This was reported by “The Economist”, citing a senior Ukrainian official.

According to the official, the plan is intended to force Russia into negotiations on terms more favorable to Kyiv. However, this approach did not sit well with Washington officials.

“They say it is doomed to fail, though part of the problem is that they don’t say this directly to the Ukrainian president,” the source explained.

Previously, American officials told “The Wall Street Journal” that Zelensky’s plan lacked a comprehensive strategy to achieve victory over Russia. Instead, it appeared to be little more than a reworked request for more weapons and the lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range missiles.

Zelensky presented his “victory plan” to U.S. President Joe Biden in late September, after which he introduced it to the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) and shared it with European allies. The plan consists of five public points and three “secret additions.” The publicized points include Ukraine’s invitation to NATO before the war with Russia ends, the removal of restrictions on the use of long-range weapons, and the establishment of a comprehensive “non-nuclear strategic deterrence package” in Ukraine, along with support for developing Ukraine’s economy.

Additionally, the plan suggests that after the end of hostilities, Ukrainian forces would “use their experience to strengthen NATO and European defenses” and potentially replace U.S. troops.

“This plan aims to strengthen our state and bolster our position. To be strong enough to end the war. To ensure Ukraine emerges fully empowered. This plan is implementable, but it depends on our partners,” Zelensky said.

He emphasized that Russia will only turn to diplomacy when it realizes that it cannot achieve its objectives by force. However, Zelensky has so far been unable to secure critical support for his “victory plan” from the EU and NATO.