BRUSSELS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the European Union (EU) and NATO leaders on Thursday to bolster support for Ukraine, stating that Kyiv must be in a position of strength before engaging in any peace talks with Russia.
Speaking in Brussels, Zelensky outlined his “victory plan” and emphasized that Ukraine is ready for diplomacy, but only if it can confront Russia from a position of power.
“Russia will resort to diplomacy only when it sees that it cannot achieve anything by force,” Zelensky told EU leaders during his address. “This is the plan. This is exactly what’s needed, and we must create the right conditions to end this war.”
Zelensky’s visit comes as Ukraine faces growing pressure to forge an exit strategy after more than two and a half years of war, particularly with Russian forces making gains in the eastern Donbas region.
The Ukrainian leader is advocating for increased Western military aid and stronger diplomatic support. He said that a robust defense is essential for meaningful negotiations with Moscow.
The Ukrainian leader’s “victory plan” rejects any territorial concessions to Russia and calls for Western allies to lift restrictions on using long-range weapons against Russian military sites. The plan also proposes deploying a “non-nuclear strategic deterrence package” on Ukrainian territory.
While his appeal for immediate NATO membership is seen as unrealistic by many Western leaders, Zelensky continued to press for stronger guarantees from the alliance.
During his meetings with EU leaders, Zelensky received strong backing from several member states. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola affirmed the bloc’s “unequivocal” support for Ukraine, describing Zelensky’s “victory plan” as the path forward.
The EU recently approved a plan to loan Ukraine up to 35 billion euros ($38 billion), using frozen Russian assets as collateral, as part of a broader $50 billion aid package.
However, not all voices in the EU were in agreement. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed alarm over Zelensky’s proposal, calling it “beyond terrifying” and urging France and Germany to engage in negotiations with Russia.
Later, Zelensky joined NATO defense ministers for talks with the alliance’s 32 member states. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised Zelensky’s visit as a “strong signal” of unity but stopped short of fully endorsing the Ukrainian leader’s entire plan.
Rutte reiterated NATO’s commitment to Ukraine’s eventual membership, though he did not specify when this might occur, stating that Ukraine’s immediate focus should remain on bolstering its military position.
While NATO countries have declared Ukraine to be on an “irreversible path” to membership, the United States and Germany have opposed fast-tracking the process, fearing it could escalate the conflict with Russia.
Nevertheless, NATO leaders affirmed their continued support for military aid to Ukraine, with Rutte emphasizing that Zelensky must negotiate from a position of strength.
Despite Ukraine’s calls for increased air defense systems amid ongoing Russian bombardments of cities and infrastructure, no new military aid announcements were expected during the NATO meeting.
Some NATO officials argued that the setbacks inflicted on Russia since the invasion may already be sufficient to seek a negotiated settlement. However, others warned that anything short of a clear Ukrainian victory could embolden Moscow to continue its aggression.