Zelensky said he was seeking to strengthen Ukraine to be "ready for diplomacy" as he arrives at the EU summit.
"Our plan is to strengthen Ukraine, to be strong and ready for diplomacy," Zelensky told reporters as he arrived for talks with EU leaders in Brussels, ahead of a second meeting with NATO defence ministers taking place across town.
The text has not been made public and has several sections that will remain "secret", but Zelensky outlined its main points.
NATO membership
According to Zelensky's speech to lawmakers, the priority is inviting Ukraine to join the US-led NATO defense alliance.
"For decades, Russia has taken advantage of geopolitical uncertainty in Europe, in particular the fact that Ukraine is not a NATO member, and this is what tempts Russia to encroach on our security," Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly stated that NATO membership will increase the security not only of his own country, but also of Europe and the West.
Defence
A key element of the "Victory Plan" is that Kiev's allies give it permission to strike military targets on Russian territory with long-range weapons.
Zelensky said Ukraine should continue its ground operations in the Russian border region of Kursk, where it launched a surprise offensive in August, seizing vast swathes of territory.
He also said Ukraine's allies should continue to strengthen the war-torn country's air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure, and maintain training programs for Ukrainian troops abroad.
Deter
The third point relates to preventing future Russian attacks. It is the least transparent and, according to Zelensky, contains a key "secret" annex that has been shared with the leaders of the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
What Zelensky said was that Ukraine wanted a "comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package" deployed on its territory.
"The Russian leadership acts aggressively only when it is convinced that it will not receive an adequate destructive response," he said.
Economic power
Zelensky said the fourth point concerns the protection of Ukraine's natural resources, "including important metals worth trillions of US dollars."
He said this section also has a secret annex that will be made available only to Ukraine's allies, and called on Kiev's Western partners to secure "a special agreement on joint protection of critical resources available in Ukraine and on joint investment and use of the relevant economic potential."
"This is an agreement that will organically complement and strengthen the existing system of economic pressure on Russia, namely all existing sanctions," he added.
After the war
The final part of the plan focuses on the period after the war, when "Ukraine will have one of the most experienced and largest military contingents."
It was one of the few times in the address when Zelensky offered resources to partners, as opposed to appealing for help from allies abroad.
"We anticipate, if our partners agree, replacing some U.S. military contingents stationed in Europe with Ukrainian troops," he said. | BGNES
