Ukraine-Russia latest: Zelensky’s ‘victory plan’ includes joining Nato as Australia pledge 49 Abrams tanks
Zelensky’s plan to end war includes bolstering Ukraine’s capability to reclaim territory and ‘to bring the war back to Russia’
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has unveiled the much-anticipated five-point “victory plan” which he hopes could bring an end to Russia’s war by the end of next year.
An invitation to join Nato and specific weapons support from western allies sits front-and-centre of Kyiv’s plan, which Zelensky discussed with Britain, the United States, France, Italy and Germany leaders in a whirlwind tour.
The plan’s third point calls for a non-nuclear deterrence mechanism with the power to destroy Russia’s military, Zelensky told the members of Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday morning.
Mr Zelensky said there is a secret addendum to the third point, which he could not disclose.
In renewed Western aid to Kyiv, Australia is sending dozens of soon-to-be-replaced Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of a new military support package worth $245m (£126m).
“This will bolster the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion,” the Australian government’s defence department said.
Mr Zelensky is expected to attend a Nato defence ministers’ meeting on Thursday.
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Biden’s botched Afghanistan exit encouraged Putin to invade Ukraine, book claims
The chaotic and botched exit of Western military forces from Afghanistan encouraged Vladimir Putin in his plans to invade Ukraine, a new book by Bob Woodward claims.
Bob Woodward, a veteran US journalist, recounted an exchange with one of the president’s top Russia experts Eric Green where he suggested the fallout from Afghanistan had emboldened Moscow.
“I think it reinforced Putin’s conceptions about how easy it would be,” Mr Green, a former senior director for Russia and central Asia on the US National Security Council, is quoted as saying.
“Here’s a military force that’s been supported by the US for decades at that stage. They just collapsed. The Americans didn’t back them up,” he said, according to Mr Woodward’s upcoming book War.
NATO chief says there are ‘issues’ with Zelensky’s ‘Victory Plan'
NATO boss Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that the ‘victory plan’ presented on Wednesday by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was a good political signal - but that he can’t support it as a whole.
“It is of course a strong signal from Zelenksiy and his team that they designed this plan... That doesn’t mean that I here can say I support the whole plan, that would be a bit difficult because there are many issues that we have to understand better,” Rutte said according to Reuters.
Ukraine wants NATO invite before Biden steps down
Ukraine is requesting an invitation to join NATO before Joe Biden leaves the White House, a senior Ukrainian diplomat said.
It would be a fitting way to end the 81-year-old’s presidency, Ukraine argues, and would be a strong “political signal”.
Speaking in an interview at the Ukrainian mission to NATO, the western military alliance’s Kyiv ambassador, Nataliia Galibarenko, said: “We sincerely believe that it can be part of the legacy of [the] current American administration.”
The US presidential election next month could have a significant impact on its approach towards support for Ukraine’s war against Russia, with Donald Trump so far unclear on how he would handle the conflict.
Russia says Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO is a justification for the brutal war they have waged since Putin’s forces invaded in February 2022.
But Galibarenko says an invitation would provide a “final verdict” for Russia, and that they would no longer be able to “raise the stakes using this topic”.
US explains reason behind use of THAAD defence system in Israel, not Ukraine
The US will not use the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile battery in Ukraine, despite using it in Israel, because the situation is “different”.
Washington authorised the use of THAAD - an advanced surface-to-air interceptor - in Israel to boost its defence capabilities after Iran’s attack.
But Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the US would not deploy the same system in Romania or Poland to help protect Ukraine’s west, which comes under regular attack from Russian missiles.
“Different capabilities, different wars, different regions. The commitments also to Israel and Ukraine are different,” Singh said according to The Kyiv Independent.
It comes after president Volodymyr Zelensky said NATO countries could help shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, but that they were “not yet ready” to do this.
Zelensky said on October 3: “What works in the skies of the Middle East and helps Israel’s defence can work just as well in the skies of our part of Europe – in Ukraine – helping to save lives.”
Zelensky’s ‘victory plan’ is pushing NATO and Russia towards direct conflict, Russia says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan” is making a direct conflict between NATO and Russia more likely, the Russian foreign ministry has said.
The plan would be a disaster for the Ukrainian people, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, after Zelensky presented the five-point plan to the Ukrainian parliament.
Zelensky called on western allies to take urgent and significant steps in bolstering support for Ukraine, claiming the war could be over next year if his plan is followed.
The Kremlin accused Kyiv of needing to “sober up” in response, adding that it was too early to comment on the details of the plan.
Report: The numbers behind North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal as Zelensky accuses it of sending troops to Ukraine
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused North Korea of sending troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
It has now emerged that North Korea has amassed enough weapons-grade nuclear material to more than double its existing stockpile of atomic weapons, according to a new analysis by a UK-based think tank.
Kim Jong-un is already believed to have between 80 and 90 nuclear warheads at his disposal, and likely has enough enriched plutonium and uranium – known as fissile material – to build in this tally significantly, according to a new report by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi).
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Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said there is a “high” probability of the war in Ukraine ending soon, according to TASR news agency.
Fico spoke on Wednesday before he left for an European Union summit, to which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited to present his newly-unveiled five-point ‘Victory Plan’.
Speaking to a parliamentary committee, Fico said: “The probability of the war in Ukraine ending is high in the short term. I expect some hint tomorrow, because suddenly the topic of an invitation for Ukraine to NATO is appearing.”
Russia finally releases man whose daughter’s drawing opposed Ukraine war
A Russian man convicted of discrediting the military with his daughter’s artwork has finally been released from prison.
Alexei Moskalyov was convicted in March 2023 on the basis of posts that he made on a social media site. The post came to authorities’ attention after his daughter, then age 13, made a drawing in school opposing the military operation.
Read the full report:
Russia finally releases man whose daughter’s drawing opposed Ukraine war
Moskalyov’s troubles began after his daughter drew a picture of missiles flying over a Russian flag
South Korea responds to reports of North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine
Reports of North Korean troops fighting against Ukraine are very serious, South Korea’s vice foreign mininster Kim Hong-kyun said on Wednesday.
It comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused North Korea of sending troops to Russia.
South Korea said earlier this month that it was “highly likely” that this was taking place - read the full report below.
North Korea is ‘highly likely’ sending troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine
South Korean defence minister says ‘highly likely’ North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine war
Ukrainian intelligence shares footage of an operation in Kharkiv region
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