The proposal would rely heavily on increased Western assistance. So far, it has drawn a lukewarm response from Ukraine’s allies.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine made a rare appearance in Parliament on Wednesday, pitching a plan to lawmakers that he said could end the war by next year but which has drawn a lukewarm response from allies.
Some broad outlines for the plan — which Mr. Zelensky referred to as a “peace through strength” strategy — had been shared in recent weeks. The president’s address to Parliament, his first so far this year, was seen by many Ukrainians as an attempt to sell his message at home and reassure a nation where war fatigue is on the rise amid steady Russian advances.
The proposal, which Mr. Zelensky has called a “victory plan,” aims to strengthen Ukraine’s position enough on the battlefield to force Russia to negotiate an end to the war. Much of that would hinge on increased Western support.
“If we start moving forward with this victory plan now, we may be able to end the war no later than next year,” Mr. Zelensky said in his speech on Wednesday, which was also broadcast on television.
“This plan can be implemented,” he added. “It depends on our partners. I emphasize: on partners.”
But whether Kyiv’s allies will endorse the plan remains to be seen. Mr. Zelensky recently visited Washingtonand European capitals to brief Ukraine’s allies on the strategy, and the responses have been limited. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, raised questions about the plan, noting that it repeats some of Ukraine’s earlier calls for increased military aid.
Given the context, experts said, Mr. Zelensky’s speech seemed primarily aimed at reassuring and rallying support from the Ukrainian public around the idea that Kyiv can turn the tide on the battlefield after steadily losing ground to Russian troops this year. In recent weeks, Russian forces have been closing in on the northeastern city of Kupiansk, prompting the Ukrainian authorities there to order a mandatory evacuation on Tuesday.
The New York times.
At-tajdid News.
