Ukraine will present 'victory plan' at Ramstein meeting

Ukraine will present its "victory plan" at a regular meeting of its allies at Ramstein in Germany on 12 October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.

"We will present the victory plan, clear, specific steps for a just end to the war," he wrote.

Ukraine, which has been fending off an invasion from Russia for nearly 1,000 days, has in recent months teased a plan to end the war.

The details have not been made public, but Mr Zelensky presented it to US President Joe Biden, as well as both major candidates running in the country's presidential election, when he visited Washington last month.

The US State Department spokesman said the plan contained "a number of productive steps" which the US would engage with Ukraine on.

However, the Wall Street Journal newspaper cited anonymous US officials as saying that the plan was a repackaged request for more weapons and a lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range missiles, and lacked a comprehensive strategy.

Yesterday, Mr Zelensky said he had visited the northern Sumy region, from where Ukraine launched a major incursion into the neighbouring Russian Kursk region.

Almost two months into the surprise operation, Kyiv's troops control swathes of Russian border territory, though the pace of the advance has slowed and Moscow's forces have begun to counterattack.

"It is crucial to understand that the Kursk operation is a really strategic thing, something that adds motivation to ou rpartners, motivation to be with Ukraine, be more decisive and put pressure on Russia," Mr Zelensky said.

Shown alongside his top army commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, visiting the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, the president thanked the military for defending Ukraine's territorial integrity.

He said the incursion, which Ukraine says is bringing war back to Russia, "has greatly helped" Kyiv to secure the latest military support packages from the West.

"We need to motivate the whole world and convince them that Ukrainians can be stronger than the enemy," he told the servicemen.

Despite the initial rapid success, the Kursk incursion did not manage to significantly distract Russia from its advances in Ukraine's east.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military said it had pulled back from the hilltop town of Vuhledar to avoid encirclement by Russian troops, which have also closed to within about 7km of the strategic hub of
Pokrovsk further north.

Mr Zelensky added that he had held a meeting with his military command, which had discussed the front lines, air defences and the energy situation in the Sumy region. Russia has been pummelling its
electricity infrastructure, leading to power cuts.

Separately, Colonel Syrskyi said on Facebook that he had recently discussed battlefield and cyber cooperation with General Christopher Cavoli, head of the US European Command, and General Timothy Haugh, head of US Cyber Command.

Col Syrskyi said he had emphasised the need to strengthen cyber cooperation: "It is important for us to use all available opportunities to achieve superiority over the enemy, both on the battlefield and in cyberspace."