Zelenskyy city-hops across Europe, promoting ‘victory plan’ to allies

Paris: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was city-hopping across Europe on Thursday to promote a “victory plan” that he said “aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war” against Russia, detailing the proposals to European leaders after a scheduled summit involving US President Joe Biden was derailed by Hurricane Milton.

Zelenskyy’s talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte were quickly followed by another meeting in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, who just the previous day sent a strong signal of support for Ukraine by visiting Ukrainian troops being trained in France.

Zelenskyy posted on X that he “outlined the details” of the Ukrainian victory plan to Starmer and added: “We have agreed to work on it together with our allies.”

He also met Rutte with Starmer. Zelenskyy posted afterward that they discussed trans-Atlantic cooperation and further reinforcing Ukraine militarily. He gave no details but posted that “these are the steps that will create the best conditions for restoring a just peace.”

Zelenskyy has yet to publicly present the proposals for victory. But the timing of his efforts to lock in European support appeared to have the looming US election in mind. Former President Donald Trump has long been critical of US aid to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader had been due to present his blueprint at a weekend meeting of Western leaders and defence ministers in Germany, but it was postponed because Biden said he had to stay home to respond to Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday he hoped the meeting could be rescheduled soon and then embarked on his whistle-stop tour of European capitals that have been among Ukraine’s staunchest allies outside of the United States. Starmer described his talks with Zelenskyy as a chance to “go through the plan, to talk in more detail.”