Zelensky looks to Biden to support Ukraine’s ‘victory plan’

As Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to unveil a “strategy for Victory” to President Joe Biden on Thursday, Kyiv is looking to the American leader for a strong show of support before he leaves the White House.

A senior official in Kyiv said they want him to “make history” in his final months in office.

While the details of the Ukrainian plan are under wraps, the plan is likely to contain requests for more military and financial support, as well as future security guarantees.

Zelensky says it was designed to be a “bridge” to stop the war, which he believes could end sooner than people think.

If the West strengthens Ukraine’s position, he believes that Russia’s Vladimir Putin may be pushed into diplomatic silence.

Always sharp in public relations, the Ukrainian president also aims to confront US critics who have questioned the wisdom of investing more money in the Ukrainian issue – by developing a tangible peace plan at last.

Zelensky made a huge effort in communication behind his victory plan.

He almost camped at the United Nations. He spoke on Monday at a conference about how the UN should be reformed. He addressed the Security Council on Tuesday. He is also giving a speech at the General Assembly on Wednesday.

In between, he meets world leaders and US politicians. He visited an ammunition factory in Scranton, Joe Biden’s hometown in Pennsylvania, that manufactures shells for Ukrainian artillery batteries.

And you are clear that you think the time is short. In one of his many interviews with the media, Zelensky told the New Yorker that a victory plan should be agreed upon – and Ukraine strengthened – in October, November and December.

“This plan was built, first and foremost, with Biden’s support in mind,” he told the magazine. That support is by no means guaranteed but Zelensky played a major role in securing it.

That is because the situation will change dramatically if Donald Trump wins the election. In Monday’s campaign, the former president mocked Zelensky as “the biggest businessman in history” because “every time he comes to this country, he takes $60bn with him”.

Trump also expressed his opinion that he will urge Russia and Ukraine to agree to an agreement to end the war, which Kyiv fears will force them to accept the loss of territories and have no certainty of continuing Russian attacks.

It is the fear of such a situation that is driving the diplomatic motivation behind Zelensky’s plan to win this week. Some politicians doubt that this plan will succeed in bringing Russia to the negotiating table. Much now depends on Biden’s response.

Lawmakers in Congress will be offered the same plan as Trump and his presidential rival Kamala Harris.

Trump has said he will end the war within 24 hours, leading to fears that the Republican nominee will force Kyiv to sign a territorial agreement against his will.

With the US election approaching, it is a crucial time for Zelensky as Moscow’s military continues to make gains, inch by inch, in eastern Ukraine.

The priority of the so-called victory plan will be to “hit Russia hard”, believes another military analyst – Mykhailo Samus, director of the New Geopolitics Research Network.

Giving Kyiv the power to destroy military infrastructure at a range of 300 kilometers could seriously hamper the Kremlin’s offensive in the Donbas and its ability to “reduce” Ukraine’s ongoing offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, Mr Samus said.

This would mean getting permission, so far denied, to use Western-made long-range missiles at targets inside Russia.

While Ukraine has successfully used attack drones on Russian ammunition dumps, the missiles can penetrate the most heavily armored weapons sites.

This plan will also see Kyiv requesting some of these types of missiles, believes Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Independent.

More financial support and capitalizing on Ukraine’s surprise crossing of borders in Russia’s Kursk region are also expected to form key elements within the strategy.

As for Ukraine’s future security guarantees, Ukraine’s ambitions to join the NATO defense alliance remain.

“Ukraine’s invitation to NATO is part of the victory plan,” confirmed Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office.

Zelensky’s office has dismissed a German report that it considers the regional freeze a “fake”.

However, Czech President Petr Pavel – who has been a supporter of Ukraine – said this week that part of Ukraine will remain “for a while”, perhaps years.

Olga Rudenko believes that, for many Ukrainians, “it is still very sensitive and it is unthinkable that you can agree to anything for a while in Russia” – even if that conversation takes place somewhere, in secret, in the government.

He says: “It’s not that Ukrainians love this field.

“We cannot leave our people there, under the control of Russia and condemn them to those horrors,” he said, referring to ongoing allegations of Russian war crimes.

That view was echoed by 31-year-old Dmytro, who suffered severe burns to his face and arms when he was hit by a Russian jet.

“We will not give up our territories, because of which many people have fallen,” he told the BBC in Kyiv.

“If we end the war now, what were we fighting for then? Why did all our men, our comrades die?”

He believes the deal will give Russia time to recover and Zelensky also warned of a “frozen” conflict.

Dmytro is already planning his return to the front to fight with his comrades: “I will not retreat, I will be there until my last breath.”