Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy touts 'victory plan' to lawmakers

US President Joe Biden has announced $425 million (€391 million) in military support for Kyiv during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House said.

The package includes air defense, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles and critical munitions, according to the White House statement.

Writing on Telegram, Zelenskyy thanked Biden, both parties in Congress and the American people for the new package.

"I proposed considering the possibility of joint weapons production," he said of the phone call with the US president. "We also discussed the importance of additional training for Ukrainian soldiers."

Ukraine, he said, thanked the United States "for its readiness to help Ukraine strengthen its positions to compel Russia towards honest diplomacy."

The announcement came a day before Biden is set to travel to Germany, where the war in Ukraine will be high on the agenda. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized Zelenskyy's "victory plan," and said it could result in a direct conflict between Russia and NATO. 

"He is pushing NATO members toward a direct conflict with our country and is again insisting on getting permission to use long-range weapons on Russian territory," Zakharova said.  

Although Zelenskyy wants to use long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ruled out supplying them to Kyiv, saying it could risk escalation. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated that he is still willing to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine.

He told the German Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, thatVolodymyr Zelenskyy has advocated another peace conference with Putin participating.

"That is why it is also right that, if we are asked, we will also speak with the Russian president," Scholz said.

"Alongside clear support for Ukraine, it is time for us to do everything we can to explore how can get to a situation where this war doesn't carry on indefinitely," he added.    

At the same time, the German chancellor said there would be no actions "over the heads of Ukraine and never without coordination with our closest partners."

He said Russian soldiers are also "victims of the Russian president's imperialist madness."

"They too are victims of his policy aimed at enlarging his country. Something that must not happen again in Europe in this way," Scholz said.     

Russia, meanwhile, was dismissive of Zelenskyy's "victory plan" and urged Ukraine to "sober up."

"The only peace plan there can be is for the Kyiv regime to realize the futility of the policy it is pursuing and understand the need to sober up," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. 

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.    

Peskov's comments come as Russia claimed to have taken two more villages in eastern Ukraine: Krasnyi Yar and Nevske. The Ukrainian government has not confirmed the loss of these two villages.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday presented his long-awaited "victory plan" to lawmakers in the Ukrainian Parliament. The blueprint consists of military, political, diplomatic and economic elements. 

It was not only lawmakers who were present at the address, but also top military, intelligence and political leaders. It comes as Ukraine has experienced two-and-a-half years of war since Russia's invasion began in February, 2022, with Ukraine losing ground on its eastern front to Russian forces. 

"Ukraine's Victory Plan is a plan to strengthen our country and our positions. To be strong enough to end the war," Zelenskyy told parliamentarians. 

"This Plan is possible to implement. It depends on our partners. It does not depend on Russia. Everyone sees that Russia is not seeking an honest peace. [Russia President Vladimir] Putin is insane and only wants war," Zelenskyy said.

He said Ukraine would not give up any territory, while arguing that the solution is not a frozen conflict and "not a trade in Ukraine's territory or sovereignty."  

Zelenskyy once again urged the West to allow Ukrainian long-range weapons to target positions deep within Russia. He condemned China, Iran and North Korea for helping Russia, blasting them as a "coalition of criminals."

He said "Ukraine proposes to deploy a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package" on its territory. He said the details of this package are secret, but he had consulted with leaders of the US, UK, France, Italy and Germany on the issue. 

The Ukrainian leader urged an unconditional invitation to NATO from the defense alliance. The call comes as key ally the United States faces an election on November 5, with Republican contender Donald Trump urging an end to military aid for Ukraine. 

In regards to the economy, Zelenskyy said the US, EU and other allies could back a deal greenlighting joint investments and the utilization of Ukrainian natural resources.

"These include, in particular, uranium, titanium, lithium, graphite and other strategically valuable resources that will strengthen either Russia and its allies or Ukraine and the democratic world in global competition," he said. 

Zelenskyy said his victory strategy could make it possible to end the war in Ukraine no later than next year. He believes that following the war, Ukrainian units could replace certain military contingents of the US military stationed in Europe. 

Zelenskyy said he would present his "victory plan" during an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. 

wd/rmt (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)