At a press conference in Kyiv today, Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about his strategy to end Russia’s war. He has a plan which he says he will present next month to Joe Biden and to the two contenders to succeed him: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. He also confirmed The Spectator’s report that the objective of the Kursk operation is ‘one of the key points’ as collateral in a negotiation which, he says, will ‘force Russia to end the war through diplomacy’.
Zelensky’s peace plans have often seemed overly ambitious
We’re now in week four of the battle in the Kursk region, with Ukrainian forces taking control of about 100 Russian settlements. The offensive has slowed but presses on. ‘We need to have a strong position at the summit [in November],’ said Zelensky today. Some 92 countries were represented at the first peace summit in Switzerland in June, but there was little progress as Russia was not invited by Kyiv. They will be this time as allies have demanded it. This was once a controversial point to Ukrainians, but there is a mood of acceptance now. ‘But if Russia doesn’t attend the second summit, we risk losing many countries,’ Zelensky said.
At present, Moscow says it won’t enter talks while 500 square miles of its own territory are captured by Ukrainians. The Kremlin had spent months calling for a ‘peace deal’ based on the ‘situation on the ground’ – e.g., Russia would keep all occupied lands. But the Kursk operation has changed the situation on the ground. Now Zelensky is gearing up with a new strategy, hoping the latest success will rally the allies to back his plan to end the war.
Zelensky offered very little detail about his plan. The Kursk offensive will be among other things in a ‘powerful package’ to compel Russia to negotiate, according to Zelensky. His plan’s success depends on Biden and whether the US will supply the necessary resources. Permission to strike deeper into Russia with American weapons is part of the means Ukraine needs, though Zelensky noted that ‘allies don’t want to discuss it, and I keep bringing it up.’
Zelensky has ruled out letting Putin keep all of his conquests. ‘We’re told to compromise with those who came to destroy us,’ he said. ‘At this point, the dialogue with Putin is futile and pointless because he does not want to end the war diplomatically without the condition that we give him 30 per cent of our land. The Kursk operation has helped reduce the number of voices on this topic.’ Russia’s lacklustre defence, he said, shows Putin cares more about seizing Ukrainian cities than protecting Russian territories. The most skilled Russian troops remain in the Donetsk region, rapidly advancing towards the strategic logistic hub in Donbas – the city of Pokrovsk.
Zelensky’s peace plans have often seemed overly ambitious. Last year’s ten-point proposal demanded that Putin withdraw from all Ukrainian territory and reaffirm Ukraine’s borders. These terms were unrealistic given Kyiv had no major victories on the frontline since the liberation of the Kharkiv region and Kherson in 2022. With so few details available on Zelensky’s new plan, its practicality remains uncertain. But even if Zelensky’s plan is rejected in Washington, allies will have to rethink their vague commitment to support Ukraine ‘as long as it takes’ – or the war will go on forever.
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