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12 October 2024

Zelenskyy’s Victory Plan Attempts to Redefine Victory and Defeat

Vladimir Socor

Inadequate Western military support is compelling Ukraine to accept negotiating with Russia from a posture of weakness. While the battlefield situation seems sustainable for the time being, despite local reverses, Russia’s relentless air strikes on Ukrainian energy supply systems at the onset of winter add an element of urgency to domestic political challenges. In Washington and other capitals, meanwhile, proposals are multiplying for negotiations to “end the war” whereby Russia would retain the Ukrainian territories it has seized. Some of Ukraine’s Western partners hope to see Russia join a peace summit before the end of this year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded by launching his own plan for a negotiated outcome, dubbed the Victory Plan. It is designed, in part, to preempt outright defeatist proposals from being tabled by other parties. Zelenskyy presented this plan to US President Joe Biden, presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, and the G7+ leaders during his recent visit to the United States (Ukrinform, September 28).

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