Ukraine war briefing: Moscow and Kyiv exchange 190 PoWs with United Arab Emirates mediating
GuardianOct 19
Ukraine: Russian Ambassador Slams Zelenskyy's 'Victory Plan'
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Above: Andrei Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK , arrives at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in central London, UK, on Feb. 24, 2022, after being summonsed to a meeting following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Image copyright: Dominic Lipinski/Contributor/PA Images via Getty Images
The Facts
Andrei Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK, has slammed what Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy promoted as his country's "victory plan" — suggesting that should the Ukrainian leader proceed on the current trajectory, it would spell "the end of Ukraine."
Zelenskyy last week revealed a number of steps in the implementation of the "victory plan," stating the first phase was NATO membership. He added that there were a number of classified appendices for allies, including plans to deploy a comprehensive non-nuclear deterrent package on its territory.
The Spin
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Welcoming Ukraine to become a properly confirmed member of NATO would show Russian Pres. Putin that his aggressive and illegal actions in the country are undermining Russia's credibility on the geopolitical stage. As Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy has said, Russia must recognize that Europe has borders and independent states, and that every sovereign nation has the right to choose its own future.
Pro-Russia narrative
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.
