Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unveiling his "Victory Plan" this week to Ukrainians at home and allies abroad, aiming to force Russia into a fair and lasting peace. 

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The text has not been made public and there are several sections that will remain "secret," but Zelensky addressed lawmakers in Kyiv and outlined its main points.

Here's what we know:

NATO membership

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The priority, according to Zelensky's speech to lawmakers, is an invitation for Ukraine to join the US-led NATO defence alliance.

"For decades, Russia has exploited geopolitical uncertainty in Europe, specifically the fact that Ukraine is not a NATO member, and this is what tempted Russia to encroach on our security," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly said NATO membership would not only boost his own country's security but that of Europe and the West as well.

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Air defence systems, training of troops

A key point of the "Victory Plan" lies in Kyiv's allies giving it permission to strike military targets inside Russia with long-range weapons.

Zelensky said Ukraine must continue its ground operations in the Russian border region of Kursk, where it launched a surprise offensive in August, seizing swathes of territory.

He also said Ukraine's allies should continue to beef up his war-torn country's air defence systems to protect critical infrastructure and keep in place training programmes abroad for Ukrainian troops. 

Non-nuclear deterrence

The third point revolves around preventing future Russian attacks. It is the least transparent and, according to Zelensky, contains a key "secret" annex that has been shared with leaders in the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy.

What Zelensky told lawmakers was that Ukraine wanted a "comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package" deployed on its territory. 

"The Russian leadership acts aggressively only when it is convinced that it will not receive an adequate destructive response," he said.

Economic strength

Zelensky told lawmakers that the fourth point centred on protecting Ukraine's natural resources "including critical metals worth trillions of US dollars."

He said there was a secret annex in this section too, which would only be shared with Ukraine's allies and urged Kyiv's Western partners to secure a "special agreement on joint protection of critical resources available in Ukraine and joint investment and use of the corresponding economic potential."

"This is an agreement that will organically complement and strengthen the existing system of economic pressure on Russia, namely, all existing sanctions," he added.

After the war

The final part of the plan focuses on after the war, when "Ukraine will have one of the most experienced and largest military contingents."

It was one of the only moments of the address when Zelensky offered resources to partners, as opposed to appealing for aid from allies abroad.

"We envisage, if our partners agree, replacing certain military contingents of the United States Armed Forces stationed in Europe with Ukrainian units," he said.

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