Ukraine's Western allies find Zelensky's victory plan an empty 'wish list'

Volodymyr Zelensky's "victory plan" is just a "wish list" with no real innovations and no real game changer initiatives, Bloomberg said.

An unnamed official said that Ukraine's allies discuss a possibility of approaching Russian President Vladimir Putin directly ahead of the Group of Twenty (G20) meeting in Brazil in November.

At least one ally of Ukraine believes that it is time for a new round of contacts with Putin, whether they may come from the side of Zelensky or other countries, the agency said with reference to a source.

The gloomy assessment of Zelensky's plan can only intensify the deepening sense of pessimism among allied countries, Bloomberg also said. They also fear that USA's support for Ukraine will decline should Donald Trump take office as President.

Volodymyr Zelensky's "victory plan" includes provisions for Ukraine's NATO membership and more arms supplies. Zelensky wants the Joe Biden administration to commit to regular supplies of advanced weapons, the agency noted.

In addition, the plan provides for the agreement on a clear path to EU membership and other economic and military agreements, which, according to the Ukrainian leader, will force Vladimir Putin to "seek peace.”

The Times later clarified that the "victory plan” included security guarantees similar to those under NATO membership, the continuation of the Ukrainian military operation in the Kursk region of Russia, the transfer of specific modern weapons, and international financial assistance to support the Ukrainian economy.

Zelensky himself said that his "victory plan” was not aimed at negotiations with Russia. The key point is to make Ukraine stronger militarily, he believes. In addition, strikes deep into Russia make a key point of the plan, the Ukrainian president believes. According to CNN, the Ukrainian leader is pushing Western partners to ease barriers on the use of long-range weapons against Russia.

According to Zelensky, this plan may force Russia to peace talks. The entire plan is to be ready by early November, he also noted.

"This will be the start and foundation for talking in any format with Russia. In any format, with any of its representatives," he said, adding that if the Russian side does not like the plan, "their reaction to the specifics will be clear."

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Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who is serving as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019, including during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine ongoing since 2022. Born to a Ukrainian Jewish family, Zelenskyy grew up as a native Russian speaker in Kryvyi Rih, a major city of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in central Ukraine. He obtained a degree in law from the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics. He then pursued a comedy career and created the production company Kvartal 95, which produced films, cartoons, and TV shows including the TV series Servant of the People, in which Zelenskyy played a fictional Ukrainian president. The series aired from 2015 to 2019 and was immensely popular. A political party with the same name as the TV show was created in March 2018 by employees of Kvartal 95.