‘What does Ukraine’s ‘victory’ look like?’ The UK suspects that Zelensky’s plan will satisfy no one

The vision of ending the war voiced by Ukrainian President Zelensky does not align with the position of the West or the sentiments within his own country.

This is written by *The Spectator* columnist Owen Matthews in his article titled “What Does Ukraine’s ‘Victory’ Look Like?”

“We need to amputate the lost territories and focus on our future. The gap between the political elite, who are losing this war, and ordinary people is enormous,” said a former high-ranking minister from Zelensky’s cabinet, according to Matthews.

The journalist questions whether Zelensky is simply naive, continuing to insist that Ukraine can truly return to its pre-war borders, or whether, as some of his internal opponents suggest, he is crafting a narrative of Western betrayal that would allow him to enter negotiations with Russia without losing face.

He cites the opinion of former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko, who believes that “the ambitious wish list that Zelensky presents to Washington is actually intended to be rejected.”

“Without the missiles, planes, and NATO membership he demands, Zelensky can credibly claim that Ukraine has been let down by its allies and has no choice but to negotiate,” Matthews writes.

The author believes that “for Zelensky himself, returning to the negotiating table will inevitably lead to accusations that halting the talks in April 2022 was a grave mistake.”

“And another part of the Ukrainian electorate will demand to know what this terrible sacrifice was for if the final deal looks very much like what was on the table in Istanbul back then,” he adds.

Matthews concludes that “having a third party to blame — in the form of the West — is a politically useful way to reconcile those Ukrainians who demand peace and those who insist on justice, and could be key to maintaining Ukraine’s governability after the war ends.”

It was previously reported that the United States is not impressed with Ukraine’s “victory plan.”