Slovak PM Fico sees high probability of Ukraine war ending soon
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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sees high probability of the war in Ukraine ending soon, news agency TASR quoted him as saying on Wednesday before his departure to a European Union summit to which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been invited to present his “Victory plan”.
“The probability of the war in Ukraine ending is high in the short term,” Fico told a parliamentary committee. “I expect some hint tomorrow, because suddenly the topic of an invitation for Ukraine to NATO is appearing.”
Zelenskiy to present ‘Victory Plan’
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was expected to unveil his much anticipated “Victory Plan” to the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday, after discussing it with his key Western allies during a set of quickfire trips in recent weeks.
As Russian troops advance in the east and a bleak winter of power shortages looms, the Ukrainian leader says the plan, which includes seeking an invitation to join the NATO military bloc, would force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war in good faith.
The exact details of the plan are not known, but Ukrainian officials have previously suggested it includes a request to the West to step up weapons supplies and to authorise longer-range strikes into Russia.
After two-and-a-half years of war, Zelenskiy’s speech to parliament will likely aim to persuade an exhausted Ukrainian public that the war can be ended soon and allay fears that Western support is rapidly ebbing.
Ukraine faces a precarious moment ahead of a Nov. 5 U.S. election that could return Donald Trump to the White House.
The Republican former president has pledged to rapidly end the war before entering office if he wins, an idea that Kyiv’s supporters fear would involve big concessions in the name of a quick deal.
The president’s office has not confirmed officially that the Zelenskiy speech will happen on Wednesday or said what time it will be.
