Ukraine-Russia latest: Zelensky pushes for EU and Nato to back his ‘victory plan’ against Putin’s forces

The five key points of the “victory plan” unveiled yesterday by Volodymyr Zelensky all involve calls to action for Ukraine’s international allies, in one form or the other.

Zelensky has made clear that he believes this to be what is needed if he is to meet his goal of ending the war “no later than” 2025, the Institute for the Study of War has said.

Simplified, the five points of the plan are as follows:

1. An immediate invitation to join Nato

2. Continued Western support and aid including equipping Ukrainian brigades

3. Supporting Ukraine’s ability to use Western-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russia and increasing intelligence sharing with Ukraine

4. Western and Ukrainian non-nuclear strategic deterrence against Russia

5. Western investment in Ukraine’s strategic economic growth; and a promise that Ukrainian forces will “replace” certain Western military contingents currently stationed in Europe after the war’s conclusion

Ukraine is requesting an invitation to join NATO before Joe Biden leaves the White House, a senior Ukrainian diplomat said.

It would be a fitting way to end the 81-year-old’s presidency, Ukraine argues, and would be a strong “political signal”.

Speaking in an interview at the Ukrainian mission to NATO, the western military alliance’s Kyiv ambassador, Nataliia Galibarenko, said: “We sincerely believe that it can be part of the legacy of [the] current American administration.”

The US presidential election next month could have a significant impact on its approach towards support for Ukraine’s war against Russia, with Donald Trump so far unclear on how he would handle the conflict.

Russia says Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO is a justification for the brutal war they have waged since Putin’s forces invaded in February 2022.

But Galibarenko says an invitation would provide a “final verdict” for Russia, and that they would no longer be able to “raise the stakes using this topic”.

Around 18 North Korean soldiers have already left their positions in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk, according to a Ukrainian news outlet.

North Korea has sent around 10,000 soldiers to Russia to aid Vladimir Putin’s invasion, a Western diplomat has said.

Of these, over a dozen soldiers have deserted from around 7 km (4 miles) from the border with Ukraine, reported Suspilne.

It is not immediately clear what caused the North Korean troops to voluntarily exit the conflict but the Russian military is looking for the now missing soldiers, the report added.

The information is being concealed by Russian commanders from being leaked to their higher-ups, the sources said.

Ukraine has asked its allies to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang after it said North Korea had become a de facto participant in the war in Ukraine.

“These are workers for Russian factories to replace Russians killed in the war. And personnel for the Russian army. In fact, this is the participation of a second state in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia,” Mr Zelensky said.

Mr Zelensky said his spy services had confirmed North Korea’s supply of both weapons and people to Russia, echoing similar comments in recent days.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha reiterated the call and said Kyiv’s allies should respond firmly, including by imposing new sanctions and further isolating Pyongyang. “This is a huge threat of further escalation. We are approaching a new phase, new realities of war,” he said at a news conference in the Black Sea city of Odesa.

The Kremlin denies the allegation of North Korea sending personnel as “fake news”.

Joe Biden spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky about efforts to surge security assistance to Ukraine and announced a new $425m (£327m) military aid package, the White House said.

The security package includes air defence capability, air-to-ground munitions, armoured vehicles and critical munitions, the White House said in a statement.

Mr Zelensky, writing on Telegram, expressed gratitude to Mr Biden, both parties of Congress and the American people for the new package and said he spoke to Mr Biden about Kyiv’s five-point “victory plan,” which he presented to parliament yesterday.

“I proposed considering the possibility of joint weapons production,” he said. “We also discussed the importance of additional training for Ukrainian soldiers.”

Ukraine, he said, thanked the United States “for its readiness to help Ukraine strengthen its positions to compel Russia towards honest diplomacy.”

The US will not use the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile battery in Ukraine, despite using it in Israel, because the situation is “different”.

Washington authorised the use of THAAD - an advanced surface-to-air interceptor - in Israel to boost its defence capabilities after Iran’s attack.

But Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the US would not deploy the same system in Romania or Poland to help protect Ukraine’s west, which comes under regular attack from Russian missiles.

“Different capabilities, different wars, different regions. The commitments also to Israel and Ukraine are different,” Singh said according to The Kyiv Independent.

It comes after president Volodymyr Zelensky said NATO countries could help shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, but that they were “not yet ready” to do this.

Zelensky said on October 3: “What works in the skies of the Middle East and helps Israel’s defence can work just as well in the skies of our part of Europe – in Ukraine – helping to save lives.”

Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-point victory plan includes defence as one of the top points for the war-hit nation.

The Ukrainian leader has called for a focus on strengthening Ukraine’s capability to reclaim territory and “to bring the war back to the Russian territory.”

The plan includes the continuation of military operations inside Russia with the aim of strengthening Ukraine’s ability to repel Russian forces from occupied territories in Ukraine.

It also involves enhancing air defence and jointly intercepting Russian missiles and drones with neighbouring countries along the international border.

Ukraine wants to expand the use of Ukrainian drones and missiles, and lift restrictions on using Western-supplied weapons for long-range strikes against military infrastructure inside Russia.

Ukraine also seeks greater access to a broader range of intelligence from allies and real-time satellite data. This section of the plan has confidential elements accessible only to allies with the “relevant assistance potential,” Mr Zelensky said.

He said Ukraine has been providing its partners “with a clear justification of what its goals are, how they intend to achieve them, and how much this will reduce Russia’s ability to continue the war.”

The fifth section of Volodymyr Zelensky’s victory plan is geared toward the post-war period.

While presenting his plan to the Ukrainian parliament, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv will have a big army of experienced military personnel after the war.

“These are our soldiers – warriors who will possess real experience in modern warfare, successful use of Western weaponry, and extensive interaction with Nato forces,” he said.

“This Ukrainian experience should be used to strengthen the alliance’s defence and ensure security in Europe. It’s a worthy mission for our heroes.”

He also mentioned that, with partners’ approval, Ukrainian units could replace certain US military contingents stationed in Europe.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan” is making a direct conflict between NATO and Russia more likely, the Russian foreign ministry has said.

The plan would be a disaster for the Ukrainian people, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, after Zelensky presented the five-point plan to the Ukrainian parliament.

Zelensky called on western allies to take urgent and significant steps in bolstering support for Ukraine, claiming the war could be over next year if his plan is followed.

The Kremlin accused Kyiv of needing to “sober up” in response, adding that it was too early to comment on the details of the plan.