Unlocking a World of Harmony: Why Peace May Be Just Around the Corner
Ukrainian president surprises in New York with an optimistic forecast. However, in a conversation with Chancellor Scholz, Zelensky received a bitter rejection.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently in New York, where the United Nations is holding its 79th General Assembly. There, Zelensky vigorously beats the drum for further military support for his war-torn country, but also explores the possibilities of a negotiated solution. At least this is what the statements that the president of Ukraine received after secret negotiations with several political delegations suggest.
The 46-year-old surprised everyone when he announced that the war in his country could end next year. “Concrete action now can hasten a just end to Russian aggression against Ukraine next year,” Zelensky wrote on Platform X after meeting with a bipartisan delegation from the US Congress. “Our victory plan will help to practically force Russia to peace.”
He had previously said on the American television channel ABC: “I believe we are closer to peace than we think.” The end of the war is getting closer, Zelensky said. “Now, at the end of the year, we have a real opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the USA,” Zelensky later wrote in a post on his Telegram channel.
The president of Ukraine has been talking for some time about a “victory plan” that he would like to present to his allies first. Apparently he sees the opportunity to do this around the United Nations summit in New York. He will present the plan in talks and possibly public speeches in order to secure additional political and military support. Zelensky also insists on his demand for Western security guarantees similar to those of NATO membership. In addition, unspecified weapons and other financial aid will be available to his country, which Russia has attacked in violation of international law.
Video | “Inconsistent with my personal attitude”
What: Reuters
On Tuesday, Zelensky will attend the UN Security Council meeting on the issue of Ukraine and is expected to speak at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. US President Joe Biden will also receive him at the White House. In view of the approaching winter in Ukraine and Russia’s serious attacks on the energy infrastructure, Zelensky also hopes for more Western support from the initiative. Recently, the efforts of the allies, especially in the field of arms support, had been significantly reduced.
On the sidelines of the UN summit, Zelensky also met Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), where the discussion was about permission for the Ukrainian army to use long-range weapons in its struggle to survive with the aggressor Russia. Scholz once again refused the request.
Scholz said in a statement to reporters before the meeting that he had “made some decisions that are clear to me” on the issue of Ukraine’s use of weapons on Russian territory. This also means that Germany will not lift range restrictions.
What was surprising was that Scholz justified this for the first time with his convictions. Thus the Chancellor linked the question of Ukraine’s defense against Russian invasion to his “personal attitude”. When asked the exact reasons for his position, he said: “We will not do this.”
Until now, Scholz had always justified the question of military support with technological considerations. For example in the Taurus argument. Criticism of Scholz’s decision came from his traffic light government. The FDP’s foreign expert Agnes Strack-Zimmermann accused the Chancellor of “unworthy” actions. The FDP politician wrote on [Friedens]-An election campaign at the expense of a battered country.”