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"NATO defence ministers will discuss the 'Victory Plan' outlined by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during two days of talks starting on 17 October in Brussels."
This was stated by the Secretary General of the Alliance Mark Rutte, AFP reports.
"No doubt it (the plan - ed.) will be put on the table this week," Rutte said. He added that "obviously" the allies are discussing the plan, which calls for increased support from the West, including an invitation to join NATO.
Zelensky's plan to end the Russian invasion, unveiled on October 16, lists an immediate offer of NATO membership as the first priority. This prompted the Kremlin's warning that Kiev was pushing the alliance into "direct conflict" with Russia.
NATO countries have said Ukraine is on an "irreversible path" to membership, but the US and Germany have opposed immediate entry. Washington and Berlin believe this would effectively put the alliance at war against nuclear Russia.
Asked about this, Rutte reaffirmed NATO's position, saying:
"Today I cannot outline exactly what the path will be, but I am absolutely confident that in the future Ukraine will join us."
Kiev faces mounting pressure to find an exit strategy as its troops suffer losses on the battlefield. At the same time, Moscow is stepping up its strikes on infrastructure.
Rutte called the plan presented on 16 October "a strong signal from Zelensky" - while warning, "That doesn't mean I can say I support the whole plan."
"The plan has many aspects and many political and military issues that we really need to clarify with the Ukrainians to understand what's behind it, to see what we can do and what we can't," he added.
"In the meantime, we will continue to provide massive military assistance to Ukraine. Russia needs to understand that we will continue to do that as long as they continue the hostilities," the secretary-general said. | BGNES
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