Zelensky has presented his “victory plan” in the USA. At the meeting in Ramstein on October 12th, he now wants to talk to the allies about the resulting steps.
Kiev – After presenting his so-called victory plan in the USA, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wants to discuss the resulting steps at the upcoming Ukraine summit in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate. “I presented the victory plan and we agreed that we will soon discuss our next steps with our allies in Germany in the Ramstein format. October is the time of decisions,” said Zelensky in his evening video address published on the X platform.
US President Joe Biden is traveling to Germany in mid-October and wants to hold a meeting of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group, which is led by the US, on October 12th at the level of heads of state and government. Zelenskyj is also said to be there. The Ukraine contact group includes around 50 countries, and Germany is also involved. The defense ministers of the member countries normally take part in the regular discussions. The USA and Germany are Ukraine’s largest arms suppliers.
During his talks in Washington, Zelensky presented a “victory plan” that he had designed. According to media reports, it is a paper with four to five points that read less like a plan and more like another of the lists of wishes that Kiev regularly presents to its Western partners – including the supply of specific weapons and an expansion of Western ones Financial aid.
Klingbeil insists on acting prudently
Zelensky is demanding permission from the allies to use long-range weapons they have supplied against positions on Russian territory. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected the delivery of German cruise missiles to Ukraine and recently spoke out against further relaxing the rules for the use of weapons supplied by Germany by the Ukrainian armed forces.
With a view to Zelenskyj’s demand, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil insists on “prudent action”. “Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in close contact with our Western partners such as the USA,” he told the German Press Agency. “We accept when others decide differently. But for Germany the decision is clear.”
Kyiv hopes that its partners will give in
There was no clear explanation of Zelensky’s main concern during his visit to the USA, namely permission to use long-range weapons supplied by the West against targets on Russian territory. “The Russians would be the first to know about this,” Zelenskyy’s press spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov said on Ukrainian television. “And then there will be a public statement about it.” Although there is still no “clear solution,” Kiev is still hoping that its partners will give in.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saw things differently at a press conference after his UN appearance in New York. He interpreted the West’s silence as a sign that “they have listened carefully to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements on nuclear doctrine.” However, he cannot judge how these countries would understand it.
After adjusting this doctrine, the Kremlin leader again threatened to use nuclear weapons. Accordingly, any conventional attack on Russia supported by a nuclear power will be viewed as a joint attack by these countries.
Zelensky thanks Biden
In his video address, Zelenskyj thanked President Biden for the latest military aid package and further support totaling almost eight billion dollars. US Vice President Kamala Harris, who wants to replace Biden at the head of the government after the election in November, also promised support for Zelensky and indirectly warned of an election victory by her Republican opponent Donald Trump.
Zelensky further said that the meetings with Harris and Trump were important for Ukraine. However, he refrained from making his own assessment of the talks and tried to maintain neutrality. Trump has made it clear several times that he is not a supporter of massive US support for Kiev’s defensive war against Russia.
Zelensky said his country has full support for the strategy of building peace through strength. The unity of the allies is important to stop Russia and this war and to guarantee a real, honest peace. “The peace that Ukraine wants more than anyone else in the world and that is sure to come.”
Heavy fighting continues in eastern Ukraine
The warring parties continued to engage in heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine. During the course of the day, 66 armed clashes of varying intensity were registered on various sectors of the front, the General Staff in Kiev said in its evening situation report.
Almost a third of these battles took place in the Pokrovsk region on the edge of Donbass. There, Russian troops made 24 attempts to break through the Ukrainian defense lines. The attacks were repelled. The information could not be independently verified.
Russian drone kills Supreme Court judge
A judge of Ukraine’s Supreme Court was killed in a Russian drone strike. 61-year-old Leonid Lobojko died when a drone hit his private car in a suburb of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, regional military administrator Oleh Synjehubov reported on Telegram. Lobojko died instantly.
Three women who were in the car were seriously injured. Lobojko was traveling in the region to distribute humanitarian aid. The Supreme Court confirmed the death of its member on Facebook and expressed its condolences to the family. dpa
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