Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presents his plan of resistance to the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv on Tuesday, vowing that Ukraine would never yield Russia’s aggression as it marks 1,000 days since Moscow launched its full-scale military invasion of its neighbor. Photo courtesy Presidential Press Service/EPA-EFE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky laid out a 10-point resilience plan to parliament Tuesday, vowing his government would not trade security or sovereignty, announcing new measures to tackle troop shortages and setting a target of producing 30,000 long-range drones and 3,000 cruise missiles.
However, he acknowledged that in order to achieve all his goals Ukraine “may need to outlive” Russian President Vladimir Putin, without mentioning him by name, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak reported on his social media account. Advertisement
“While the whole world is waiting for a miracle from [U.S. President-elect Donald] Trump, God willing, we should get to work,” Zelensky told lawmakers as Ukraine marked a thousand days since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022.
Zelensky warned lawmakers that Putin would not stop of his own accord and would have to be forced into a “just peace,” saying Russia’s use of North Korean troops showed that Moscow was bent on escalation. Advertisement
“While some European leaders think about some elections, or something like this, at Ukraine’s expense, Putin is focused on winning this war,” Zelensky added.
Other elements of his blueprint include bolstering unity, shoring up the front line where Ukraine forces are on the back foot, weapons, finances, security, including energy security, and more wide-reaching and generous veterans’ benefits
Zelensky said he would not cave in to pressure to lower the age of the draft to 25 but would establish a military ombudsman to arbitrate on the issues around conscription and a new compact between the military and young people below mobilization age.
On veterans, he pledged preferential treatment in recruitment for public sector jobs, a rehabilitation center for every community by the end of 2025, 11,000 new veterans support specialists, financial incentives to doctors caring for veterans, and dedicated veteran housing.
Zelensky said he would bolster the country’s finances through cutting red tape, insuring against military risks and providing businesses with more protection from law enforcement.
The latest proposal package comes after Zelensky’s so-called victory plan he pitched to leaders in Washington and across Europe in late September and early October faced criticism for being too heavy on the extra mile required from Western partners and too light on changes domestically. Advertisement
Tuesday also saw Putin approve changes to nuclear engagement rules so that an attack from a non-nuclear adversary backed by a nuclear ally would be considered a “joint attack” on Russia — just two days after the United States reportedly caved in to Ukrainian pleas to be allowed to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike targets on Russian soil.
Under the revised nuclear doctrine unveiled in September, seen as a thinly-veiled threat designed to give Washington and its nuclear-armed allies pause on granting Ukraine’s wish, any use of Western-supplied conventional missiles, drones or aircraft against Russia or threatening its sovereignty, could meet the threshold for a nuclear response.
The state-run TASS news agency reported that the updated doctrine expanded the range of countries and military alliances subject to nuclear deterrence, as well as the list of military threats “that such deterrence is designed to counter.”
“Russia will now view any attack by a non-nuclear country supported by a nuclear power as a joint attack,” the report states.
“Moscow also reserves the right to consider a nuclear response to a conventional weapons attack threatening its sovereignty, a large-scale launch of enemy aircraft, missiles, and drones targeting Russian territory, their crossing of the Russian border, and an attack on its ally Belarus.” Advertisement
