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

Australia is sending dozens of soon-to-be-replaced Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of a new military support package worth $245m, officials said.

“The [Anthony] Albanese Government underlined its steadfast support for Ukraine announcing the gifting of 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. This will bolster the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion,” according to a statement issued by the Australian government’s defence department.

“These tanks will deliver more firepower and mobility to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and complement the support provided by our partners for Ukraine’s armoured brigades — Australia has been steadfast in our support for Ukraine,” Australian defence minister Pat Conroy said.

“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion,” the minister said.

Volodymyr Zelensky will attend a Nato defence ministers’ meeting today, according to the bloc’s revised agenda.

The Ukrainian president unveiled his “victory plan” yesterday, calling on allies to take urgent steps to bolster Kyiv at a precarious moment in a bid to end the war with Russia next year.

Earlier yesterday, Nato chief Mark Rutte told reporters he was aware of the details of Mr Zelensky’s plan and that he was in touch with the alliance’s member countries on the next steps.

“The victory plan, of course, we are very much debating with them and using every opportunity to take that one step-by-step further,” Mr Rutte said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused North Korea of sending troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

It has now emerged that North Korea has amassed enough weapons-grade nuclear material to more than double its existing stockpile of atomic weapons, according to a new analysis by a UK-based think tank.

Kim Jong-un is already believed to have between 80 and 90 nuclear warheads at his disposal, and likely has enough enriched plutonium and uranium – known as fissile material – to build in this tally significantly, according to a new report by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi).

Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said there is a “high” probability of the war in Ukraine ending soon, according to TASR news agency.

Fico spoke on Wednesday before he left for an European Union summit, to which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited to present his newly-unveiled five-point ‘Victory Plan’.

Speaking to a parliamentary committee, Fico said: “The probability of the war in Ukraine ending is high in the short term. I expect some hint tomorrow, because suddenly the topic of an invitation for Ukraine to NATO is appearing.”

A Russian man convicted of discrediting the military with his daughter’s artwork has finally been released from prison.

Alexei Moskalyov was convicted in March 2023 on the basis of posts that he made on a social media site. The post came to authorities’ attention after his daughter, then age 13, made a drawing in school opposing the military operation.

Read the full report:

Reports of North Korean troops fighting against Ukraine are very serious, South Korea’s vice foreign mininster Kim Hong-kyun said on Wednesday.

It comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused North Korea of sending troops to Russia.

South Korea said earlier this month that it was “highly likely” that this was taking place - read the full report below.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that European countries are beginning to struggle in mobilising their military-industrial industries to help Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to Reuters: “This mobilisation of capabilities for ephemeral goals is contrary to the interests of the economic development of these countries, and clearly the capacities of these countries are not designed for such efforts.”

“In time, we hope, an understanding that such spending is unnecessary will become sharper and will sink in among more and more of the political establishment of these countries.”

The Ukrainian victory plan calls for western unity to ensure Russia is “forced to peace”, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“Together with our partners, we must change the circumstances so that the war ends. Regardless of what Putin wants. We must all change the circumstances so that Russia is forced to peace,” he told members of the Ukrainian parliament.

Here are the five key points he laid out on the speech:

1 - An invite to NATO

An unconditional invitation to join the NATO western military alliance is a necessary element of Ukraine’s victory, Zelensky told parliament.

“We understand that NATO membership is a matter of the future, not the present. But (Russian President Vladimir) Putin can see that his geopolitical calculations are headed for defeat,” he said according to Reuters.

2- Bolstered defence capabilities

Zelensky says Ukraine’s defensive abilities must be “irreversibly strengthened”, something he said can be done by removing restrictions on weapons use - partly referring to long-range drone strikes into Russian territory.

He said that boosting air defence capabilities, strengthening Ukraine’s defence industry, and continuing Ukraine’s military operations in Russia’s Kursk region, will bring Ukraine to victory.

3 - Deterrence

Ukraine’s western allies should demonstrate to Moscow that further aggression by Moscow would have consequences, Zelensky said.

He told parliament: “Ukraine proposes to place on its soil a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package that will be sufficient to protect Ukraine from any military threat from Russia.”

There is a secret addendum to this part of the plan, which Zelensky provided no further detail of.

4 - Strategic economic agreement

Zelensky called for an agreement between Ukraine, the US, the EU and other allies to allow for joint investments into and use of Ukraine’s natural resources - which he said were worth trillions of dollars.

“These include, in particular, uranium, titanium, lithium, graphite and other strategically valuable resources that will strengthen either Russia and its allies or Ukraine and the democratic world in global competition,” Zelensky said.

5 - Ukraine’s role in strengthening NATO

Zelensky proposed Ukraine’s armed forces being used to enhance NATO’s security, replacing some US forces currently stationed in Europe.