Zelensky tries to gain support from the EU and NATO for his “victory” plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strove Thursday in Brussels to obtain the support of his Western allies, within NATO and the EU, for his plan “for victory”, supposed to put his country in a position to force before any negotiation.

While many leaders reaffirmed their support for kyiv, they remained evasive on the Ukrainian president’s specific requests such as the lifting of restrictions on the use of weapons that the West supplies to Ukraine.

“Ukraine is ready to make a real place for diplomacy but, for that, we must be strong”, launched Volodymyr Zelensky before the leaders of the 27 member states before meeting later in the day with the defense ministers of the Atlantic Alliance. And “if our allies remain united, we will not lose,” he told the press on Thursday afternoon, from NATO headquarters, alongside the new Secretary General of the Alliance Mark Rutte.

The latter immediately assured him of the solidity of the commitment of the 32 countries of this organization. “We will not lose our unity,” he said while Volodymyr Zelensky had not yet finished his response.

Did you build the Kremlin?

“Of course, we support President Zelensky’s plan for victory, although it is not up to me to judge the issue of NATO membership,” declared European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the end of the summit of 27.

The Kremlin rejected the Ukrainian plan, seeing it as nothing more than an attempt by kyiv to directly drag NATO into the war, an act “with serious consequences”, according to its spokesperson Dmitri Peskov.

Against the grain of other leaders, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose country is in NATO, described the Ukrainian plan as “terrifying”. “We are losing this war, this strategy is not working, we must change it!”, he affirmed on his Facebook page, demanding the “immediate” opening of negotiations with Russia, where he He went in July for a very controversial “peace mission”.

But, for kyiv, there is an urgent need to implement it. More than two and a half years after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine is retreating, particularly on the eastern front of Donbass, where the Russian army claims almost every day the conquest of a new village, as it has again done Thursday morning.

North Korea’s deployment?

Another reason for concern, according to Volodymyr Zelensky, 10,000 North Korean soldiers are preparing “in their country” for possible deployment in Ukraine or Russia to fight alongside the Russian army. “We have no proof that North Korean soldiers are taking part in the fighting, but we know that North Korea supports Russia,” said Mark Rutte.

According to Volodymyr Zelensky, however, discussions with EU countries were positive. “After our very frank conversations, the majority of those who spoke (at the summit of 27) did so to support the plan,” he said during a press conference.

The plan defended by Ukraine recommends sending it immediately an invitation to join the Atlantic Alliance, its only real guarantee of security, according to the Ukrainian president.

“Ukraine will be in NATO,” promised Mark Rutte. But we will still have to wait and, “until that happens, we must make sure that Ukraine has everything it needs to win,” he explained to the press. He thus recalled the commitment of the Allies who have already released nearly 21 billion euros in the first half of this year, out of the 40 billion promised in 2024 to Ukraine.

“Do it all”

Other countries were more enthusiastic, calling on their partners in the Alliance and the EU to support the plan. “We want this plan to succeed and we will work with Ukraine and encourage other countries to work with Ukraine,” British Defense Minister John Healey assured Thursday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on him to “do everything” to prevent the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine, including by talking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, however in consultation with kyiv.

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