NYT: Limited Western backing forces Ukraine to search for Plan B

US deemed Zelenskyy's victory plan unrealistic and too reliant on aid, while the list of targets in Russia exceeds available missiles, moreover, the plan's secret point also seeks long-range Tomahawk missiles, "unfeasible request," per US officials.

Oct 30, 2024 - 14:00

NYT: Limited Western backing forces Ukraine to search for Plan B

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s victory plan for Ukraine to win the war next year has received only “lukewarm rhetorical support” from Western allies, The New York Times reports.

No country has permitted the use of its missiles inside Russia, and an invitation to NATO remains off the table until the war ends, undermining two key points of the five-point plan, which also includes three secret annexes. Meanwhile, Kyiv faces growing challenges on the battlefield and in securing international support. Russia is advancing in the east, while American officials told NYT that Russia suffered its highest monthly casualties in September, with US and British military analysts estimating more than 1,200 casualties per day.

NYT says some military analysts and diplomats told the publication that the real audience for Zelenskyy’s plan might be Ukrainians.

“Mr. Zelenskyy can use his hard sell […] to show Ukrainians that he has done all he can, prepare them for the possibility that Ukraine might have to make a deal and give Ukrainians a convenient scapegoat: the West,” NYT wrote.

After weeks of lobbying his plan among Western leaders, the Ukrainian President has exhausted the possibilities, but at least he can say he’s tried, one of the NYT sources said.

“I’m not insisting that they do it exactly this way,” Zelenskyy said in a recent interview session with reporters. “I said it will work. If you have an alternative, then please, go ahead.”

According to NYT, US officials privately called Zelensky’s victory plan unrealistic and overly reliant on Western aid. Speaking anonymously about sensitive military details, one official cited a non-public proposal where Ukraine requested a “nonnuclear deterrence package” with Tomahawk missiles – a request deemed unfeasible. Tomahawks have a 1,500-mile range, over seven times that of ATACMS missiles sent to Ukraine, of which only a limited number were provided.

Kyiv previously provided Washington with a target list in side Russia, urging the US to lift its ban on striking Russia with its ATACMS missiles for Ukraine. However, the NYT says US officials claimed the list far exceeded the number of missiles available without risking stockpiles needed for potential conflicts in the Middle East and Asia.

Four US officials told The New York Times that Zelenskyy was shocked by Biden’s refusal to authorize using US long-range missiles during their September meeting, as Biden had previously relented on weapons like Abrams tanks, F-16s, and ATACMS. Despite detailed explanations and target lists, no political decision has been made.

NYT believes that NATO membership during the war remains unlikely, despite Ukraine’s aspirations. While Baltic nations and Poland appear open to the idea, the US and Germany oppose it, fearing direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

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