Zelenskyy Takes 'Victory Plan' on European Tour
The Facts
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday took a whistle-stop tour of three European capitals, promoting what he described as a "victory plan" for Ukraine. It "aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war," Zelenskyy said.
Earlier in the week, as reports suggested vast Russian gains in eastern Ukraine, as well as a possible frontline collapse, Zelenskyy said in a trip to Croatia that 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." Russia has strongly opposed such an idea.
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.
