What Is Zelensky’s ‘Victory Plan’ for Ukraine’s War With Russia?

• Sept. 25, 2024, 8:54 a.m. ET

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is visiting the United States this week for the United Nations General Assembly, where he will deliver a speech on Wednesday. Beyond the formal addresses, he has one primary objective: selling what he calls his “victory plan” to Western allies, especially President Biden.

The stakes are high for the Ukrainian leader. Faced with waning Western support for his country’s defense against Russia’s invasion, now in its third year, Mr. Zelensky aims to improve his country’s negotiating position ahead of any possible talks with Moscow. For now, that means reversing the dynamic on the battlefield, where Kyiv’s forces have been steadily losing ground to Russian troops this year.

Enter the “victory plan,” which Mr. Zelensky has described in news media interviews as a bridge to a future peace settlement — a strategy aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s position on the battlefield enough to force Russia to the negotiating table.

Mr. Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have been tight-lipped about the specifics of the plan until it is formally presented to Mr. Biden later this week, but its general outline has begun to emerge. In statements before traveling to the United States, Mr. Zelensky said the plan includes enhancing Western security guarantees for Ukraine, increasing military aid and securing further financial support.

Military experts say one of the key demands is for Western allies that have supplied powerful missiles to allow Ukraine to fire them into Russia, an authorization that has yet to be granted despite intense lobbying.

Andriy Yermark, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said on Tuesday that the plan also included a formal invitation from NATO for Ukraine to join the military alliance.

Neither of those two demands is new, and it is unclear how the plan differs from what Ukraine has long been calling for. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said last week that she had seen the plan and that it “can work.”

It remains unclear to what extent Mr. Biden would endorse any plan that would involve increased U.S. financial aid for Ukraine. A recent Pew Research Center poll revealed a divided American public: about a third believe the United States gives too much support to Ukraine, while a quarter think the current level is sufficient, and another quarter feel the U.S. is not doing enough.

In an interview with The New Yorker published on Sunday, Mr. Zelensky said Mr. Biden refusing to endorse the plan is “a horrible thought.”