Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, suggested that the ongoing conflict with Russia might end sooner than anticipated. He expressed optimism, stating, “I think that we are closer to peace than we think,” in an interview with News Men.
Zelensky emphasized Ukraine’s strong position to influence Putin to end the conflict, urging Western allies to increase their support for the Ukrainian military. Currently in the United States for the United Nations General Assembly, Zelensky plans to present a “victory plan” to Western allies, including US President Joe Biden.
Ahead of his visit, Zelensky revealed that the plan involves additional weapons donations, diplomatic initiatives to compel Russia to agree to peace, and holding Moscow accountable for its comprehensive invasion in 2022.
During his interview with News Men, Zelensky clarified that his victory plan was not about negotiating directly with Russia but rather “a bridge to a diplomatic way out, to stop the war.”
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked that Russia was being cautious about media reports concerning a Ukrainian plan and reiterated that the conflict would only end when Russia’s objectives were fulfilled.
Zelensky has been requesting Western nations to permit Ukraine to ease restrictions on the use of long-range missiles, which could target deep into Russian territory. He is expected to make this request again during his visit to the US this week.
On Sunday, President Biden mentioned that he had not yet decided whether to authorize Ukraine to use long-range missiles. Zelensky stated that the US needed to lead this decision: “Everybody’s looking up to [Biden], and we need this to defend ourselves,” he told our correspondent.
Zelensky is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and is also expected to meet US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
The president of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, told the New York Times that Ukraine would need to be “realistic” about the likelihood of reclaiming areas in the east of the country that Russia has captured over the past 31 months of war.
He added that the most probable outcome of the war would be that some part of Ukrainian territory would remain under Russian control for several years.
A decisive victory for either Ukraine or Russia “will simply not happen,” Pavel told the Times, suggesting that the resolution of the conflict would be “somewhere in between.”
Zelensky’s visit to the US comes at a time when Ukraine continues to face relentless attacks from Russia.
An incursion by Ukrainian forces into Russia’s Kursk region in August did not alleviate the pressure exerted by Moscow on eastern Ukraine.
Several regions continue to experience daily casualties and extensive damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. There are significant concerns that Russia could capture more key towns in the eastern part of the country.
In a daytime attack on Tuesday, Russia targeted a high-rise apartment building in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv.
At least three individuals lost their lives, and 15 were injured in the attack, which local authorities reported was conducted using glide bombs.
