Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war with Russia was “closer to the end” than many thought and called on allies to strengthen the Ukrainian military.
„The plan for victory is to strengthen Ukraine,” Zelensky said during an interview on ABC's Good Morning America. "That is why we are asking our friends, our allies, to reinforce us. This is very important."
“I think we are closer to peace than we think,” he continued. “We are closer to the end of the war. We just have to be very strong, very strong“.
Zelensky's comment was made against the background of his visit to the USA, where he is expected to present the Ukrainian “victory plan” to American President Joe Biden. Details of it are not disclosed, but Kiev has long called on its Western allies to allow strikes on Russian territory with Western missiles.
Zelensky's request comes amid heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine, as well as weeks after Ukraine invaded Russia's Kursk region. Zelensky said that Putin is “afraid“ from the Kursk operation of the ZSU. "It is true. He is very afraid," said Zelensky. "Why? Because his people saw that he could not defend... that he could not defend all his territory."
The Ukrainian leader stated that only from a "strong position" Ukraine can "press Putin to stop the war".