BBC:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented MPs with a long-awaited “victory plan” that aims to strengthen his country’s position enough to end the war with Russia.
Zelensky told parliament in Kyiv the plan could finish the war – which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – next year.
Key elements include a formal invitation to join Nato, the lifting by allies of bans on long-range strikes with Western-supplied weapons deep into Russia, a refusal to trade Ukraine’s territories and sovereignty, and the continuation of the incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region.
The Kremlin dismissed the plan with a spokesman saying Kyiv needed to “sober up”.
Addressing MPs on Wednesday, Zelensky also criticised China, Iran and North Korea for their backing of Russia, and described them as a “coalition of criminals”.
He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “gone mad”, describing him as bent on waging wars.
Zelenksky said he would present the victory plan at an EU summit on Thursday.
“We are at war with Russia on the battlefield, in international relations, in the economy, in the information sphere, and in people’s hearts,” he told parliament.
The plan outlined by Zelensky consists of five key points:
Three “addendums” remain secret and will only be shared with Ukraine’s partners, Zelensky said.
In the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, residents who spoke to the BBC were mostly supportive of the plan.
“We should not give up territory,” Anatoly said, adding that he hoped Ukraine would still have a chance to join Nato and would also get more support from its allies.
Nadia said everything depended on what security guarantees Ukraine would be able to get.
Another woman, Maria, stressed that “people want to end the war as soon as possible”.
Zelensky’s plan was presented to US President Joe Biden, as well as presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, back in September.
Key allies such as Britain, France, Italy and Germany have also reportedly been shown the plan.
