Zelenskyy says 'victory plan' to end Russia war includes NATO membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his "victory plan" to end the war with Russia includes requests for specific weapons and an "unconditional" invitation to join NATO now. "If we start moving according to this victory plan now, it may be possible to end the war no later than next year," Zelenskyy said on Wednesday in a speech to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. The first, he told lawmakers, was receiving an "unconditional invitation" to join the military alliance, which would show "how our partners truly see Ukraine's place in the security architecture". The Ukrainian leader recently concluded a whirlwind tour of several European capitals, trying to win approval for the five-point plan from Western partners, which have stopped short of publicly voicing their support for it so far. "Regardless of what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants, we must all change the circumstances so that Russia is forced to peace," he told parliament of the proposal that also includes military, political and economic elements. Ukraine's defence forces and weapons must be bolstered from Russian missile and drone attacks, he said, reiterating a call for his country's allies to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range arms on military targets in Russia.