Kyiv’s victory plan for the war, presented this month by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has already garnered praise from Western partners. Voice of America’s correspondent, Lesia Bakalets, reports from Kyiv on what experts and Ukrainian citizens think of the victory plan.
President Zelenskyy’s Victory Plan consists of five main points.
“If we start implementing this specific plan for victory, we could end the war by next year,” says President Zelenskyy.
The plan calls for an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and the establishment of a sufficient non-nuclear military presence on its territory to deter Russia. Western partners’ reactions remain uncertain, as do the sentiments of Ukrainians. Natalia, a resident of Kyiv, says:
“The plan is realistic but doesn’t depend on Ukraine.”
Oleg, another Kyiv resident, thinks differently:
“I firmly believe that everything will be decided on the battlefield. Ukraine’s best ally is our armed forces.”
“We’ll have support. We hope for the best, but perhaps we’ll need to fight on our own,” says Oksana, a resident of Kyiv.
Political science analyst Mykola Davydiuk believes the plan includes many unrealistic points for Western partners.
“If we had four realistic points and one that wasn’t, it might be an exception. The answer is that the plan is disconnected from reality.”
The analyst points out that Ukrainians are often the last to learn of the plan, after all of Kyiv’s foreign partners. Some points remain unexplained to them, such as agreements with allies to help defend the country’s critical resources, as well as shared investment and exploitation of these resources.
“Protecting resources through Western capital, which may participate in production, is good. But it’s necessary to explain to people what resources we’re talking about and what the benefits would be for the country,” analyst Mykola Davydiuk told Voice of America.
Professor Valerii Pekar, from Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, raises another question: why doesn’t this plan include a list of actions for Ukrainians themselves?
“Many believe this is only half of the plan because it outlines Ukraine’s expectations from its allies. However, Ukraine faces numerous issues with public administration, mobilization, and the rule of law. The question is, what will be done about this?”
Military affairs expert Evgen Dykyj expresses concern about Ukraine’s alternative actions if partners don’t implement the ‘Victory Plan.’
“So far, it seems like we don’t have a Plan B. Either coalition partners do what we ask, or we surrender, or what? Plan B should be total mobilization of the population and finances, transferring everything to military lines and fighting the war ourselves.”
Professor Valerii Pekar emphasizes that Western allies need to understand what the world will look like after the war.
“If Ukraine wins, we’ll have a safer world, where rules are respected. Otherwise, it’ll be a world where any dictator does whatever he wants within his sphere of interest.”
After nearly three years of war, the Russian aggressor continues to advance in eastern Ukraine. The country also faces a challenging winter, as Russian attacks have devastated a large portion of its energy system.
