Zelensky presents 'victory plan' to European leaders
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday morning to present his "victory plan" to European leaders. "Our plan is to strengthen Ukraine, to be strong and ready for diplomacy," Zelensky said before the meeting began.
With Russian forces putting heavy pressure on the eastern front, Zelensky's plan aims to strengthen his country's position for possible negotiations and to force Moscow to peace.
"It is great, I think, that this plan does not depend on Russian will, only on the will of our partners. And I think this gives opportunity to make this plan real," Zelensky said on Thursday.
NATO invitation and funding
But the plan contains demands that Western allies find difficult to accept, including the lifting of restrictions on the use of their weapons on Russian territory and a rapid invitation to join NATO.
"We know that the road to NATO membership has been mapped out, but also that there are still many steps to be taken and that the war must first be ended," said Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo. In the meantime, European countries must remain committed to Ukraine and provide resources, he said.
Zelensky launched a call for new funding to be implemented quickly. The European Union is working on a loan, backed by the excess profits on blocked assets of the Russian central bank, that promises Kiev up to 35 billion euros. “Our interior production of drones and electronic systems of electronic warfare helped a lot. We need money for this, and partly the money from Russian assets,” Zelensky said.
© BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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