In Kyiv, Zelensky presents Ukraine’s offensive in Kursk as ‘victory plan’. Three weeks after the attack of his armed forces on Russian territory in the Kursk region on August 6, Volodymyr Zelensky justified the operation for the first time. Speaking at an undisclosed location in Kyiv on Tuesday, August 27, and before a crowd of journalists, the Ukrainian president asserted that his army’s attack on enemy territory was a part of the “victory plan” to ensure that Ukraine presents itself in a strong position at future peace negotiations. “The main purpose of this plan is to force Russia to end the war. And I want that very much fair to Ukraine,” he said, without giving further details.

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The Ukrainian leader also intends to present this “winning plan” in September to US President Joe Biden, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, both candidates for the election US president in November. “Of course, the war will end with dialogue but Ukraine must be in a strong position,” added Zelensky, who appeared after initial speeches by several officials senior levels, including the head of his administration, Andriy Yermak; Defense Minister Rustem Umerov; and Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrski, was also present via video conference.

While Russia was not invited to the previous peace summit in mid-June in Switzerland, which ended without much progress, Zelensky floated the idea in July of Russian representatives participating. Participate in a second summit in the fall. According to Yermak, Ukraine wants this second meeting to take place in one of the countries in the Southern Hemisphere, which has so far adopted a neutral stance in the war and which Kyiv is trying to rally to its cause.