zelensky-drafts-plan-to-end-ukraine-russia-war

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that he is formulating a "comprehensive plan" outlining Kyiv's vision for concluding the ongoing war with Russia.

 

This initiative comes amid an absence of public negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, with both sides maintaining divergent stances on the terms for a potential peace settlement.

 

Zelensky made this declaration during a press conference in Kyiv alongside Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, citing the significance of global support for Ukraine's proposed peace plan.

 

"It is very important for us to show a plan to end the war that will be supported by the majority of the world," Zelensky stated.

 

Earlier this month, Zelensky hosted a major international summit in Switzerland aimed at garnering backing for Ukraine's position.

 

Notably, Russia was not invited to this summit.

 

The event saw participation from leaders and senior officials from over 90 countries.

 

The final communique stressed the necessity of respecting Ukraine's "territorial integrity" in any peace settlement.

 

However, some key countries, such as India, did not endorse this communique, while others, including Russia's ally China, boycotted the summit in protest of Moscow's exclusion.

 

Ukraine has consistently insisted that Russia must withdraw its troops from internationally recognized Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, as a precondition for peace talks.

 

Conversely, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who initiated the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, demands that Ukraine cede additional territories in the east and south.

 

During his visit to Brussels on Thursday, Zelensky indicated that he would present a "detailed plan" within months.

 

"We don't have too much time," he remarked, highlighting the severe casualty rates among soldiers and civilians.

 

Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to make incremental advances on the battlefield.

 

On Friday, they claimed to have captured another small frontline village.

 

Currently, Russia occupies approximately one-fifth of Ukraine and, in 2022, asserted the annexation of four additional regions, none of which it fully controls.

 

Ukraine's resistance heavily depends on Western financial and military aid.

 

However, Ukrainian troops, after more than two years of intense combat, face challenges such as being outgunned, outmanned, and exhausted.