Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has called on Western backers to deploy their missiles in the country as part of a “deterrence package” designed to threaten Russian military targets.
On Thursday, Zelensky presented to the European Council his so-called “victory plan.” A day earlier in the Ukrainian parliament he unveiled the plan, calling it a “comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package,” without giving specifics.
“We propose placing on Ukrainian soil a deterrence package that would either force Russia to participate in real peace negotiations or allow for the destruction of their military targets,” Zelensky told lawmakers in Brussels.
“It’s the peace through threats approach… it’s about an appropriate missile package” Zelensky explained, adding that Kiev has provided details of the plan to all partners who can “make this happen,” including the US, France, Germany, Britain and Italy.
He also reiterated his demands for more military support from the West and the lifting of restrictions on the use of Western long-range weapons, and demanded that Kiev’s foreign backers “saturate Ukraine with air defense as soon as possible.”
Zelensky’s “victory plan” consists of five points, including an immediate invitation to join NATO, permission to use Western long-range weapons against targets in Russia, and continued incursions into Russian territory. It also contains three annexes which have not been made public, but have supposedly been shared with Kiev’s “designated partners.”
The Ukrainian leader’s top aide, Mikhail Podoliak, has said the unpublished part of the plan includes Kiev’s targets for long-range attacks on Russian soil and a weaponry wish list.
Ukraine’s much-hyped “victory plan” has drawn mixed reactions from Western partners. Washington’s envoy to NATO, Julianne Smith, noted that accession to the military bloc is not a “short-term” matter. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also said Ukraine is not guaranteed to be the next member of the organization.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dismissed Zelensky’s “victory plan” as a “plan for the misfortune of Ukraine,” calling it a “set of incoherent slogans” and “bloody foam on the lips of a neo-Nazi killer.”
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also condemned the scheme as merely a roadmap for continuing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and insisted that the only way to achieve peace is for Zelensky to “sober up” and “reflect on the causes which have led to the Ukraine conflict.”