US rejects Zelensky's 'victory plan', limits defense weapons, South Korea's 'North Korea troop dispatch' fails
The US rejected Ukrainian President Zelensky's 'victory plan' and limited it to supplying defense weapons, and South Korea's 'North Korea troop dispatch propaganda' has lost its strategic value on the international stage.
On the 21st, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Kiev and formalized the 'defense weapons limitation' in a speech at the Diplomatic Academy, saying that the US would provide "what Ukraine needs to fight for its survival and security."
Secretary Austin met with President Zelensky that day, and the AP reported it as 'rejecting support for NATO membership and long-range missiles', saying that "he did not give any hints that he could approve the core plan of Zelensky's so-called 'victory plan'."
Zelensky's 'victory plan' is centered on 'joining NATO', which was the starting point of the war, and 'support for long-range missiles to attack the Russian mainland by the US', and the 'propaganda war to deploy the North Korean military to the battlefield' in cooperation with South Korea to achieve this was focused on the meeting with the US Secretary of Defense on this day, but Secretary Austin had previously expressed a negative view on South Korea's 'dispatch of troops to North Korea' at a press conference at the G7 Defense Ministers' Meeting, and on this day, he officially rejected Zelensky's strategy.
In his speech, Secretary Austin said, "There is no silver bullet. No ability alone can turn the tide. No regime can end Putin's attacks," and announced his rejection of Zelensky and South Korea's 'dispatch of troops to North Korea' by saying, "Make no mistake. The US does not seek war with Russia."
Secretary Austin told diplomats and military officials gathered at the military academy that day, “What matters is how Ukraine fights back,” and that “what matters is the combined effect of military power. And what matters is to focus on what is effective,” AP reported.
Zelensky had pressured Secretary Austin in a video speech the previous evening (Sunday 20th) ahead of his meeting with Secretary Austin, saying, “The ‘victory plan’ has the support of France, Lithuania, the Nordic countries, and many other allies in the European Union,” and that he had “received very positive signals from the United States,” but the ‘victory plan’ was officially rejected by Secretary Austin that day.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the Austin-Zelensky meeting focused on strengthening strategic relations and defense cooperation, and on solving the problem of global food security through Ukraine’s Black Sea grain shipments passing through the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been advocating “balanced diplomacy” because Turkey, a NATO member, has “close relations” with both Ukraine and Russia, and has proposed and promoted hosting a peace summit between the two countries since the early stages of the war.
On the 17th, President Zelensky met with Secretary Austin, who was attending the NATO Defense Ministerial Meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, and presented a “victory plan,” and the “dispatch of troops to North Korea” in South Korea led by the National Intelligence Service rapidly spread.
When asked about the “victory plan” in Brussels on the 18th, Secretary Austin declined, saying, “It is not my place to publicly evaluate his plan.”
On the 21st, Reuters reported on the rejection of the “victory plan” in an article about Secretary Austin’s interview, saying, “He (Zelensky) was promised continued support, but did not receive support for an immediate invitation to join NATO from major allies.”
“As Secretary Austin disembarked from his train in Kiev after spending the night in Poland, Ukrainian officials reported that a new Russian attack on the capital Kiev overnight had damaged residential buildings and injured at least one civilian,” Reuters reported. “President Zelensky, eager to regain momentum in the fight against Russian forces, said in a statement to X that he had spoken with Secretary Austin about loosening President Biden’s restrictions on using U.S.-provided weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.” A U.S. Defense Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that while the invasion of Ukraine has hurt Russia’s economy, isolated it diplomatically and hurt its military, Russia is not ready to give up the war. “So it is putting a huge burden on the Ukrainians.”
The presidential office briefed that day that “NATO Secretary General Rutte requested that the South Korean government send a delegation to NATO to share more detailed information about North Korea’s troop deployment during a phone call with President Yoon Seok-youl.”
The Dong-A Ilbo reported on the 21st that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized on X (former Twitter) that he “discussed with President Yoon the close partnership between NATO and South Korea, defense industry cooperation, and the interconnected security between Europe, the Atlantic, and the Indo-Pacific,” and that “North Korea’s dispatch of troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine represents a significant escalation of tensions.”
The Dong-A Ilbo continued, “Secretary General Rutte stated immediately after the NIS announcement that he could not confirm the fact that North Korea had dispatched troops,” and “He said, “Our current official position on whether the North Korean military was involved in the war is unconfirmed, but this position may change in the future.” He added, “We are in close contact with all partner countries, including South Korea,” and “We will communicate to secure all evidence (related to the dispatch).”