Where is Zelenskyy's victory plan? Blinken sends clear signals to Bankova

Blinken was accompanied in Kyiv by Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. A piquant detail is that the delegation was accompanied by Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK, former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Ironically, earlier this year it was Zelenskyy who demanded a victory plan from him. But now everything is different.

What does the U.S. want? The United States wants a realistic plan from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for strikes on Russian territory before lifting restrictions on the use of Western weapons. It is not known for certain why the president's team has not been able to come up with a plan A and plan B, given that Zelenskyy has been warned more than once to consider whether Ukraine has enough resources to implement his 1991 border formula.

Recently, the president has been quite active in publicly defending his people, represented by Andriy Yermak and Oleh Tatarov, while continuing to quarrel with Ukrainian journalists.

So, Blinken's team of political strategists added pepper and sent a signal to Bankova that it was somewhat tired of mudslinging against civic activists and the independent press. The Secretary of State invited anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin, journalist Yuriy Butusov, and anti-corruption law expert Svitlana Musiyaka to a private meeting.

There is a certain symbolism in this: Telegram channels friendly to Bankova talk daily about how these are Russian agents on the Kremlin's payroll, but a second person in the United States posts photos of them on his pages.

Photo: Facebook

But back to Zelenskyy's plan and why are Western allies demanding it here and now?

The WSJ noted in an article before the visit that the West still supports President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's long-term goal of regaining control of Ukraine's territory, but some European diplomats say Ukraine needs to be more pragmatic in its wartime goals and strategy, as that could help Western officials make the case to their constituents for arms and aid.

It's no secret that a number of Ukrainian refugees are periodically asked by the natives what's going on in Ukraine. They don't shoot anymore. And no, we shouldn't blame the Europeans for their indifference, but in the third year of a full-scale war, it's hard to maintain the same level of attention. And they are also pressed by their own problems - migrants, social security and local economies.

So Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who arrived in Kyiv, discussed, among other things, how best to define Ukraine's victory.

According to the WSJ, the talks point to the ongoing tension between Kyiv and the West in reconciling the desire to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine with the military reality on the ground. Senior European officials say Kyiv has been told that a complete victory for Ukraine would require hundreds of billions of dollars in Western support, something neither Washington nor Europe can realistically provide.

A realistic plan is needed not only for the West to finally stop being afraid of Putin's threats and to authorize the use of long-range weapons deep into Russia. We need it, first and foremost, so that Ukrainian society does not go into hysterics when a Scholz or a J.D. Vance comes out in public and advises us to give up some territory to Russia because Putin does not want to fight either.

Zelenskyy himself needs a victory plan B, because it is clear that not only he, but also the next government will have to deal with Russian issues. And the Russian Empire's hatred of Ukrainian identity will not be resolved by an obituary for Putin.

Mr. Zelenskyy himself has actively overheated expectations with promises of diplomatic coercion to force Russia to peace. However, his team says little about real security guarantees for the controlled part, because the last thing we want is for Russia to get convenient footholds for a new act of aggression. After all, not everything can be solved by a demilitarized zone and fortifications, given how well Russia uses the guided bombs. And how well they are aligned with the axis of evil, along with Iran and China.

The authoritative outlet Bloomberg cautiously wrote that a decision on the West's easing of restrictions on long-range weapons strikes on targets in Russia is not likely to be made before world leaders meet at the UN General Assembly in the United States on September 24. British Minister Lammy confirmed this, saying that the UN meeting would be the next opportunity to discuss long-range missiles and further support for Ukraine.

Apparently, Zelenskyy fell for the same hook he tried to use to catch Zaluzhnyi before he resigned. First, he demanded a victory strategy, then he said that he had a victory plan, but it would not be shown to anyone. But the tables have flipped, and Zelenskyy himself is now being asked for a plan.

Excusively for Espreso

About the author: Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolaieva, journalist.

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.