Ukraine's Zelenskyy defends 'victory plan' at Brussels summit

Tehran's relationship with Moscow is costing Russia in terms of its partnerships in the Middle East, officials say

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives to take part in a EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. AFP

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said the majority of EU leaders supported his "victory plan", while also warning that North Korea's intention to send 10,000 soldiers to Russia to help fight Ukraine was the "first step to a world war".

Mr Zelenskyy, who presented his proposal to EU leaders ahead of a meeting with Nato defence ministers in Brussels, said he needed EU backing to move forward with his plan and encourage world leaders to support it.

He is calling for Ukraine to join Nato, the strengthening of Ukraine's defence and deterrence, and for the joint protection of the country's critical resources. The Ukrainian leader has travelled to Washington, Paris, Berlin, Rome and London to promote his initiative but it has yet to earn backing from western capitals and his plea for an immediate invitation to join Nato is widely viewed as unrealistic.

More than two and a half years into the war, Kyiv is slowly but steadily losing territory in the eastern Donbas region and under mounting pressure to forge an exit strategy, which it says must start with more western support.

Mr Zelenskyy said the majority of EU leaders who took the floor during their meeting expressed "full support". "It is very important to know that we’ll get investments, that our resources will be secure, that they won’t be in the hands of Russia or allies, and if we don’t get that support it’ll be extremely difficult for us," he said. "If we get a sign that we'll be in Nato, we'll feel that we're not alone."

Ukraine urgently needs support to repair its energy grid, of which 70 per cent has been destroyed, the EU's foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said. "We have to stop the cycle of they destroy, we repair," he said. "A victory plan is important – how to make the link between the victory plan and the peace plan," he added. "To win the war and to win the peace – both things have to go together."

A number of European leaders urged other members to support Mr Zelenskyy's plan. "It would be a great mistake to think that our hesitation is the best way to de-escalation," said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda as he arrived at the summit. "If Ukraine were to be more successful on the ground, then I think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin would be pressed to go to the negotiations table. Right now, he thinks he's prevailing."

European Council President Charles Michel said it was "very important" the Ukrainian leader was clear about his needs. "What is needed is more military equipment, more technologies so that Ukraine is in the position to defend itself against this terrible and blatant violation of international law," said Mr Michel. But not all were convinced.

Hungary's Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orban posted on Facebook that Mr Zelenskyy's road map was "beyond terrifying", urging France and Germany "on behalf of the entire European Union, to start negotiations with the Russians as soon as possible".

North Korean soldiers

Separately, Mr Zelenskyy said Russia was preparing to deploy 10,000 North Korean soldiers in the fight against Kyiv, citing intelligence sources.

Mr Zelenskyy has previously accused North Korea of sending troops to fight alongside Russia's army but this was the first time he gave an exact figure.

An unspecified number of North Korean soldiers were already on "occupied Ukrainian territory from the side of Russian enemies", Mr Zelenskyy said.

Speaking to The National, western officials said between 2,000 and 12,000 North Korean soldiers were now deployed to Russia. They are mainly to be used either in defending territory or as engineers for defensive works, they said.

However, Russia has not fired any Iranian short-range Fateh 360 missiles. “I do think that the [Iran] relationship is coming at a bit of cost to Russia in terms of its partnerships elsewhere in the Middle East," one western diplomat said.

“One of the things that is pretty evident from what's going on in the Middle East is the extent to which Russia's relationship with Iran over Ukraine is causing some additional grit or struggle in some of these Arab countries," they added.

Ukraine is gradually losing its Russian territory in Kursk, with the salient now reduced from 900 sq km in August to about 500 sq km. Moscow is using its well-trained VDV airborne troops for the offensive.

Elsewhere, Russia is grinding ahead, taking heavy losses – 1,271 casualties a day, but still advancing. It could look to encircle rather than take the strategically important city of Pokrovsk due to the high casualty rate in urban fighting.