Ukraine Proffered 'Victory Plan'

"I see Zelenskyy is here. I think Zelenskyy is the greatest salesman in history -- every time he comes into the country, he walks away with $60 billion."

"If I win this election, the first thing I'm going to do is call up Zelenskyy and call up President Putin and I say 'You got to make a deal, this is crazy'."

Former US President Donald Trump  

In this image provided by the Office of the Ukrainian Presidency, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, listens to Rich Hansen, the commander's representative for the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, in Scranton, Pa., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (Office of the Ukrainian Presidency via AP)

 

It's as simple as that. The man aspiring to return to the presidency of the United States has such a Solomonic mind; like Occam's razor he knows the simplest solution is the best, the only solution to any problem. Just pass the problem off to the principals involved. All else is unnecessary fireworks accomplishing nothing. So Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, is presented with the solution of entirely submitting his country to the violent wiles of a vicious aggressor, and the aggressor is given the latitude of finishing what it has begun; territorial expansion completed.

Mr. Trump interprets the problem as one belonging solely to Ukraine and Russia; theirs to solve, relieving Ukraine's backers of their self-imposed duty to aid a sovereign nation that has been marked for destruction by a neighbour, to its fate. Unrecognized by this genius is the domino effect that will capture eastern Europe in a time warp, moving it back to the era of the Soviet Union when its neighbours willing or not, once again become appendages of a powerful and ruthless state.

Kyiv's strategic responses and the Ukrainian military's actions in this Russian 'special military operation' have both been outstanding in their firm grasp of options and the spirit of defiance against a larger military, a powerfully grasping nation and a military armed with superior and greater numbers of technologically advanced weaponry. The courage of the Ukrainians under constant threat and fire from an enemy that respects no international standards of modern warfare has been exemplary.

In a deadly conflict that has imposed straitened living conditions on the Ukrainian public, forced them to relocate throughout the country and made millions refugees, while killing thousands, the world looks on as a struggle not only to regain sovereignty and repossession of territory proceeds, but one where a proud people have little option but to appeal to their Western and European backers to continue funding its war and supplying it with critical hardware enabling its continued counteroffensive.

 

A screenshot from footage released Sept. 24 showing the recaptured aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. (Ukraine's intelligence military/Telegram)

 

Driving Russian forces out of the town of Vovchansk in the northeast of Ukraine necessitated hand-to-hand combat. The town had been occupied for months, with Russian troops using a huge processing plant as an operation base and weapons storage facility.The plant was valuable to Russia, considered a stronghold in the Kharkiv border region. The plant was recaptured by the Ukrainian units following fierce fighting "in densely built-up conditions". 

This was Ukraine's military demonstrating in real time that it has no intention of withdrawing from the conflict. Coincidentally. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set off on a trip for the purpose of ensuring ongoing foreign practical support. He was prepared to present his "victory plan" to end the conflict, and plans to ask the U.S. to support another attempt by Ukraine to join the NATO alliance. The U.S. is also urged by Mr. Zelenskyy to commit to a sustained advanced weapons supply.

There is no variation expected to be revealed in the much-rumoured victory plan beyond what has already taken place, and it is expected that with the concept of the 'victory plan' will arrive yet another rationale aimed at Western supporters of Ukraine's battle, that more generous commitments of aid and military hardware be forthcoming, to achieve that 'victory'. 

A pervasive sense of fatigue and pessimism has set in among allied nations, while the conflict continues to drag through past its third year. A dilution of support for Ukraine will certainly see the ebullient atmosphere in Ukraine over the 'victory plan' as wearisome and simply put, more of the same. Russian threats in light of the fact that Moscow is set to increase its defence spending to historic highs, are sobering.

 

And then, of course, there is the imponderable of the potential of Donald Trump returning to the presidency after the November U.S. general election, and Russia's plans for its three-year budget proposals in committing 13.2 trillion rubles (US$142 billion) for 2025. And the clincher in the dooms department; Donald Trump's stated disinterest in continuing aid to Ukraine, presumably in favour of 'America first' policies and a neutral stance on problems in Europe. 

Ukrainian Troops take Vovchansk in intense battle    Newser