“The West does not understand how Zelensky’s ‘victory plan’ will compel Russia to enter negotiations”, – expert says

The Ukrainian “victory plan” is unlikely to compel Russia to come to the negotiating table.

This was stated by American military expert Michael Kofman in an interview with Austrian journalist Christian Wehrschütz.

“I’m not sure this is a victory plan, as it’s unclear how it would theoretically bring Russia to the negotiating table,” Kofman said.

In his opinion, the timing of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s presentation of the plan “is not very well coordinated,” as the United States will not take any drastic steps regarding Ukraine until a new president is elected and the transition period is complete.

“The U.S. is unlikely to make any moves on this issue until we see the results of the elections in November. And after the elections, there will certainly be a transition period. Therefore, I don’t expect any new strategy or policy to emerge in the United States until early next year. I think one of the challenges Ukrainian leadership faces is that the timing of their proposal is not particularly well-aligned,” Kofman added.

Moreover, he believes that regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election, the trend toward reducing spending on Ukraine will continue.

Under these circumstances, Kofman views the best military strategy for Ukraine as shifting to a defensive stance to prepare fresh forces and potentially go on the offensive in 2025.