dpa
Kiev
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday demanded an immediate invitation for his country to join NATO, as he revealed his much-anticipated "victory plan” to end the war with Russia to the Ukrainian parliament.
"This plan depends on the partners. I stress: on the partners,” Zelensky told lawmakers and the military leadership in Kiev.
The president said it was important to push the fighting back onto enemy territory, so that the Russian population can understand the nature of war and eventually turn on the Kremlin.
Restrictions on the use of long-range Western weapons that prevent Ukraine from striking targets deep inside Russia should be lifted, Zelensky said, reiterating a demand he has made for months.
Another aspect of the plan is for Kiev’s neighbouring countries to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine from their territories.
Zelensky also suggested stationing a large arsenal of non-nuclear weapons in Ukraine to deter Russia from further aggression.
The Ukrainian president had previously presented his victory plan to allies in Washington, Berlin and Paris, but not all aspects had become public.
He is due to attend a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday, aiming to garner support for the plan.
Heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine After seizing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and having its proxies take over part of eastern Ukraine, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.