Zelenskyy Reveals First Phase of Ukraine's 'Victory Plan'
The Facts
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday revealed his first step towards the country's vision for peace — or what he has labelled its "victory plan" — remaining tight-lipped about it since last month's meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in which the plan was briefed.
Speaking alongside Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković at the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit in Dubrovnik on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said: "The first step of the plan focuses on whether the problem of geopolitical uncertainty in Europe will be resolved — whether Ukraine will get a seat in NATO."
The Spin
If Ukraine becomes a properly confirmed member of NATO, it will show Russian Pres. Putin that he will be lost from a geopolitical point of view. As Ukrainain Pres. Zelenskyy said, Russia must recognize that Europe has borders and independent states, and everyone has the right to choose their own future.
Dragging Ukraine into the NATO military alliance is what started this whole conflict in the first place, particularly NATO's cultivation of Ukrainian nationalism that resulted in a violation of rights against the country's Russian-speaking citizens. Without eliminating the root cause of the conflict, it's impossible to achieve a fair settlement.
