Victory plan includes Western-supplied missile package to force Russia toward talks, Zelensky says in Brussels
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 17 that the victory plan includes placing conventional missile capabilities in Ukraine that would either force Russia to accept negotiations or decimate Moscow's military targets.
"We propose placing on Ukrainian land a deterrence package that would either force Russia to participate in real negotiations or could allow the destruction of its military targets," Zelensky said when presenting the plan to the European Council in Brussels on Oct. 17.
Ukraine's head of state arrived in Brussels a day after unveiling most of the five-point plan to the public in a speech in the Ukrainian parliament. The third point relates to a "non-nuclear deterrence package" positioned on Ukrainian territory.
"It's the peace-through-strength approach," Zelensky said, explaining this concerns a missile package obtained with the support of the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, and Italy. He did not specify what exact weapons systems Kyiv seeks in this context.
Washington, London, and Paris have provided Ukraine with long-range missiles like ATACMS, Storm Shadow, and SCALP/T but did not permit their use within Russian territory. Lifting these restrictions was also one of the points included in the victory plan.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin should respect our strength, not have the free world tremble at his threats."
According to the president, Ukraine would use the deterrence package only if Moscow did not give up on its war of aggression.
During his address, Zelensky presented the victory plan's remaining four points, which concern an immediate invitation to NATO, defense support, economic cooperation, and post-war security architecture.
The president called for sustained support from European partners "because Putin is preparing his reinforcements to continue the war."
"Putin wants to match your country's ammunition production by next year," Zelensky said, adding that Moscow is receiving assistance from North Korea and Iran, among others.
"We are receiving signals that China is actively helping Russia drag out this war," the president said, citing "clear intelligence data."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
