As part of President Volodymyr Zelensky's "victory plan," Ukraine would ask for NATO membership within the months, not years, according to the information obtained by the Kyiv Independent.
A similar estimate was shared by The New Yorker in an interview with Zelensky, published on Sept. 22.
When asked what would happen if U.S. President Joe Biden rejected Ukraine's "victory plan," Zelensky told The New Yorker, "That's a horrible thought."
"It would mean that Biden doesn't want to end the war in any way that denies Russia a victory," the president added.
Asami Terajima
"And we would end up with a very long war—an impossible, exhausting situation that would kill a tremendous number of people. Having said that, I can't blame Biden for anything," Zelensky said.
Zelensky is expected to present the "victory plan" to Biden at the White House on Sept. 26. He also plans to discuss it with presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and members of Congress.
Ukraine said it is open to suggestions from the U.S. to strengthen the plan. U.S. officials said they had been acquainted with elements of Zelensky's strategy and voiced belief "that (it) can work."
After that, Zelensky promises to make the "victory plan" public.
Zelensky said that the plan was designed to end the war with the backing of international partners without relying on Russia's cooperation. However, he did not specify how it would achieve this.
Dinara Khalilova
(Updated: )
