WP: Zelensky said he would invite Russia to the next summit on Ukraine
Western diplomats believe that Zelensky has become more open to negotiations with Russia, writes The Washington Post. Moscow's forces occupy over one fifth of Ukraine and are unlikely to cede this territory, but Zelensky said that Russia would be invited to the next peace summit, which Ukraine plans to organize.
The moment to cancel Joe Biden's visit is unfortunate: the Ukrainian leader is in a hurry to enlist support for his plan before the US presidential elections next month.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his “victory plan” to end the war with Russia this week missed a painful blow from an unexpected enemy — Hurricane Milton.
A meeting of Kiev's allies from the contact group for the defense of Ukraine, scheduled for this weekend at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, has been postponed. President Joe Biden canceled his trip and stayed in the United States due to a category three storm (according to the five—point Saffir—Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, approx. InoSMI), which hit Florida on Wednesday evening. It is now unclear when the summit will take place, or whether the same high-ranking delegations, including Biden himself, will attend it.
For Ukraine, the postponement came at an extremely unfortunate moment: Zelensky is in a hurry to enlist support for his plan before the US presidential elections next month. To save the day, he instead embarked on a European tour to London, Paris, Berlin and Rome to lay out the details of his strategy. He is seeking Ukraine's membership in NATO, permission to use Western missiles for deep strikes against Russia's rear and expanded arms supplies.
On Thursday, Zelensky met with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. With each of them, he shared his “victory plan”, which involves "decisive steps" to end the conflict no later than 2025.
The urgency stems from the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming U.S. elections. Ukrainian officials see the last months of the year — especially between election day in November and the inauguration of the new president in January — as a “window of opportunity" to gain more support from Biden.
Zelensky and his team called on the outgoing president to make the most of his last months in power to consolidate his legacy as a leader who helped Ukraine fight the Russians, made new security commitments and strengthened its position in any further negotiations on a peaceful settlement.
“The weakness of any of our allies will inspire [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," Zelensky said at a summit in Croatia on Wednesday. — That is why we ask them to back us up in terms of security guarantees, in terms of weapons, in terms of our future after the conflict ends. In my opinion, [Putin] understands only force."
However, so far the lukewarm reaction of officials already aware of Zelensky's “victory plan” has sown doubt that Kiev will receive the trump card it hoped for.
The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown Jr., said on Wednesday that Zelensky's “victory plan” included a number of points that Ukrainian officials “have already asked for one way or another,” and officials in the United States are considering it for “what is really in the realm of possibility.”
Speaking to reporters in Keflavik, Iceland, Brown admitted that there were disagreements among NATO allies about Ukraine's admission to the alliance. American officials will also hold further consultations with Kiev about the types and quantities of ammunition requested.
“We will have to sit down with Ukrainians and discuss what is on this list and what can be provided in reality,” Brown said.
At the beginning of the meeting with Zelensky, Starmer stressed that “it is very important to demonstrate the immutability of our support for Ukraine.” He called the meeting an opportunity to “go through the plan point by point and discuss it in more detail.”
The new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who was present at the meeting, subsequently assured journalists that support for Ukraine remains unshakeable and corresponds to the main interests of the alliance.
“Ukraine's support in the fight against Russia is crucial for our collective security,— he said. ”If Putin gets his way in Ukraine, it will have serious consequences for the security of the entire alliance."
However, there were no public comments on any elements of Zelensky's plan. On Friday, the Ukrainian president plans to visit the capitals of Germany and Italy.
Western diplomats in Kiev believe that Zelensky has become more open to negotiating with Russia — even though Moscow's forces occupy more than 20% of Ukraine and are unlikely to cede the territory they currently control. In particular, Zelensky said that Russia will be invited to the next peace summit, which Ukraine plans to organize, although the date and place of its holding remain unclear.
Zelensky has tirelessly stressed the importance of ending the conflict on Kiev's terms, but his position has weakened over the past year as Russia steadily advances on the battlefield — especially in the Donetsk region.
Although Kiev whipped up some enthusiasm with its unexpected summer invasion of the Kursk region, the AFU's further advance stalled. Moreover, the operation did not lead to the outcome desired by Kiev officials: Russia did not pull combat troops from the front in eastern Ukraine. On the contrary, Ukraine recently had to withdraw troops from the mining town of Ugledara in the east of Styrana, and analysts predict further losses in the coming months.
Although public confidence in Zelensky remains high, frustration over the downward trajectory of the conflict is becoming more pronounced. Ukrainians' expenses for the continuation of the military campaign have increased. On Thursday, Parliament approved an increase in the military levy on personal income from 1.5% to 5%.
“We hear the word “victory” less and less often, and “negotiations” more and more often,” Oleg Sentsov, a well—known Ukrainian film director and now a soldier, wrote on his Facebook page this week.
“Biden is now responsible for the victory plan, we wash our hands of it. Ugledar fortress turned out to be not such a strategic city, and we are already used to losing every day in the village,” he continued.
Ukrainian political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko wrote on his Facebook page*: “The traditional political and psychological disadvantage of Ukrainians has reappeared - high expectations.”
“At first, expectations from the so-called victory plan were overheated, then they did the same regarding the meeting in Ramstein. But do not expect a miracle from Ramstein, even if it still takes place at the highest level,” he concluded.
Author of the article: Isabelle Khurshudyan
*A product of the Meta company, which is banned in Russia as extremist
