Kyiv said timely decisions by allies would be crucial to the success of a “victory plan” that it will share with the United States next week, as the EU pledged more financial aid for Ukraine and support for its badly weakened energy sector as winter looms.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is scheduled to meet US counterpart Joe Biden in Washington next Thursday, as he pushes for more international backing in a bid to force Russia to abandon its invasion of his country and negotiate a fair peace.
“Most of the decisions from the plan depend specifically on him [Mr Biden]. On other allies too, but there are certain points which depend on the goodwill and support of the United States,” Mr Zelenskiy said in Kyiv on Friday alongside visiting European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
“The entire plan is predicated upon quick decisions from our partners. The plan is predicated upon decisions which should take place from October to December, and not delaying these processes,” he added.
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Ukraine has not revealed details of its plan, but has been pushing for many months for permission to strike military targets deeper inside Russia with missiles provided by western allies. Kyiv says such a move would help it degrade Russia’s military supply lines and disrupt daily air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities, frontline positions and its already severely damaged power grid.
The White House has so far rejected Kyiv’s requests over fears of potential “escalation” in Europe’s biggest war since 1945, amid Kremlin threats that Russia could be pushed into a direct clash with Nato or even resort to using its nuclear arsenal.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Kyiv’s plan was merely a bid “to forge or prevent the collapse of the anti-Russian coalition, and of course this has nothing to do with the task of finding a political and diplomatic settlement to the situation around Ukraine.”
Deeper Ukrainian strikes using western weapons “will mean that Nato countries, the US and European countries, are fighting Russia. And if this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will take appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us,” she added.
Russian missiles and explosive drones have destroyed about half of Ukraine’s electricity-generating capacity, and officials say long blackouts are inevitable across Ukraine this winter.
Dr von der Leyen announced that the EU would lend Ukraine up to €35 billion as part of a G7 loan package that will be serviced by interest accrued by frozen Russian assets.
“Russia keeps targeting your civilian energy infrastructure in a blatant and vicious way to try to plunge your country in the dark,” she said in Kyiv. “The European Union is here to help you in this challenge to keep the lights on, to keep your people warm as winter is just around the corner, and to keep your economy going as you fight for survival.
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