As Russia-Ukraine War Escalates, Zelenskyy Releases 'Victory Plan' | What We Know

As the Russia-Ukraine war nears 1000 days of fighting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has released a "victory plan" which aims at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict.

This victory plan was presented to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday based on the inputs Zelenskyy received from Kyiv's Western allies - the US and NATO.

However, not all aspects of this plan were made public. The plan largely discusses Ukraine's next moves to force Russia to the negotiation table. Zelenskyy's victory plan comprises military, political, diplomatic and economic elements of the war.

What Is Zelenskyy's Victory Plan?

Following Zelenskyy's 10-point peace plan for Ukraine, the president has prepared a "victory plan" for Kyiv. In his announcement, Zelenskyy revealed that the victory plan has been developed in a way to "force Russia to enter negotiations to end the war".

The plan was presented before the Verkhovna Rada on October 16, after it garnered support and inputs from Kyiv's key allies.

"We are at war with Russia on the battlefield, in international relations, in the economy, in the information sphere, and in people's hearts," said Zelenskyy as he unveiled Kyiv's victory plan.

The victory plan, presented before the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday, outlines five key points -

1. Invitation for Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance.

2. Strengthening Ukrainian defence against Russian forces, including permission to use their long-range weapons on Russian territory, and the continuation of Ukraine's military operations in Russia to avoid the creation of the "buffer zones".

3. Containment of Russia through a non-nuclear strategic deterrent package deployed on Ukrainian soil

4. Joint protection by the United States and the European Union of Ukraine's critical natural resources and joint use of their economic potential.

5. For the post-war period: replacing some US troops stationed across Europe with Ukrainian soldiers.

The Ukrainian president added that three addendums of the victory plan will remain a secret and will only be presented to Ukraine's partners.

As per Ukrainian reports, US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump were shown the victory plan back in September. Along with the US, leaders from Britain, France, Italy and Germany were also made privy to the plans.

After presenting the victory plan to the Ukrainian parliament, Zelenskyy will submit the plan before the European Union, where the country is also negotiating a membership with the regional bloc. The plan is expected to be unveiled during the EU Summit on October 17 and 18.

Zelenskyy's victory plan also comes as Ukraine works towards organising a second round of the peace talks, which is expected to have Russia and Moscow's allies at the negotiation table.