The number one element of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s new Victory Plan for ending the war calls for guaranteed entry into NATO – but alliance leaders have already rejected this option.
Zelensky announced the first part of the plan to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday, outlining five stipulations that aim to protect the territorial integrity of the country and rebuild it after the war ends.
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But in a press conference immediately following the president’s announcement, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters that the alliance could not yet throw its full support behind the new plan.
“It is a strong signal from Zelensky,” Rutte said. “That doesn't mean that I here can say I support the whole plan – that would be a bit difficult because there are many issues that we have to understand better."
He explained that an invitation into the alliance must be a unanimous decision by all 32 members of NATO and that negotiations were ongoing.
“Washington decided to make the path towards NATO membership for Ukraine an irreversible path,” Rutte said. “That's clearly stated, and we are in close contact with allies and Ukraine to see how we can take the next steps.”
Although he refrained from extending any formal acknowledgment of a pending NATO invitation for Ukraine, he did repeat the alliance’s staunch support for the country.
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“That does not mean that we are not standing squarely behind Ukraine, in making sure that Putin is not getting his way,” he said.
The NATO chief emphasized that the choice to negotiate for peace was in Ukraine’s hands and that Russia would have no say on its membership.
“The most crucial thing we have to achieve is for Ukraine to be in the best possible position one day when the Ukrainian government would decide that they want to enter into talks on ending this war,” Rutte said. “They have to be in a very strong position when that moment comes.”
Summary of the five-point plan
Point 1: Western countries should invite Ukraine to join NATO immediately. This would demonstrate a clear intention to integrate Ukraine into the Western security system. According to Zelensky, it would also be a sign of the West's courage and determination.
Point 2: Strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities by providing Ukraine with additional weapons and allowing them to be used against targets deep inside Russia. A secret appendix is attached to this clause that has been shared with allies.
Point 3: “Deterrence.” Zelensky urged Western countries to deploy non-nuclear military forces in Ukraine after the war to prevent further Russian aggression. This point also includes a secret appendix provided to the leaders of the US, UK, and Italy.
Point 4: Economic measures. Zelensky noted that Ukraine has significant mineral deposits and enterprises that could fall into Russian hands if Ukraine is defeated for which he proposed establishing economic agreements with Western powers to secure these resources.
Point 5: Security. After the war, Ukraine’s forces will have the widest possible experience of using Western weapons in a full-scale conflict. Zelensky suggested that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could replace US forces in Europe after the war.
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