Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a "victory plan" that involved replacing U.S. troops stationed in Europe with Ukrainian forces, contingent on NATO and U.S. approval.
Zelensky
continues to push for Ukraine's NATO membership while hinting at
potential nuclear armament if entry into the alliance is denied, though
he later denied these intentions.
The plan reflects the strain on Ukraine's military, which has suffered
significant losses, with the average age of its soldiers now at 43 and
reluctance to draft younger men.
The plan has sparked concerns about deeper NATO involvement in the war,
with potential risks of escalating tensions between NATO and Russia.
During his talks with NATO officials and US leaders last week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky laid out his plan for what he believes will win the war with Russia. This "victory plan" was first pitched to the Ukrainian parliament last Wednesday and includes the involvement of US and NATO troops on Ukraine's battlefields.
Along with reiterating his longstanding push to join the NATO alliance, Zelensky told MPs: "If the partners agree, we envisage replacing certain military contingents of the US armed forces stationed in Europe with Ukrainian units."
Fox News reported that the US has around 100,000 troops stationed across Europe. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have dwindled and have become weakened during the war, which has lasted for nearly 3 years with no end in sight should Zelensky persist for a win rather than entertain negotiations for a peace deal.
US officials have urged Kyiv to allow men aged 18-24 to enlist in the Ukrainian military, which the country is reluctant to do due to fears that "there will be no viable men left to start families and replenish the population after the war is over," according to Zero Hedge. The average age of Ukraine's frontlines soldiers is 43.
Zelensky also seemingly suggested during his talks last week that if Ukraine is continually denied entry into NATO it will secure nuclear weapons, something that the president has since denied.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte dubbed these elements Zelensky's "victory plan," stating to reporters last Wednesday that it is "not only about an invitation to become a member of NATO. The victory plan has more elements," adding, "The next steps [are] not just on this issue, but on the general content of the victory plan."
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