The picture shows Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky
The topic of this issue, Ukraine unveils the "victory plan", intending to end the conflict next year! Korea garrisons 18 countries, really fake?
Since August 27, 2024, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky first proposed the "victory plan" at the Ukraine independence forum in Kiev, making it clear that the actions of the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region are one of the main points of the plan. Over the next month or so, he actively pitched his ideas in the United States and Germany. And on October 16, Zelensky officially announced the five-point content of the "victory plan" at the Supreme Council of Ukraine, which marked the further development of this plan.
The plan contains five key elements and relies on the assistance of allies. Including the need for Ukraine to be unconditionally invited to join NATO, as well as the need for specific weapons support, considered essential to enhance Ukraine's combat capability. At the same time, he also pointed out that Ukraine must acquire a non-nuclear deterrent capability sufficient to destroy Russia, and although he did not elaborate on this, it is curious to mention the existence of a secret appendix that cannot be revealed.
Pictured are United States President Joe Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
In addition, Zelensky also mentioned that Western countries should protect Ukraine's natural mineral resources from Russia's attack and promised to support Ukraine's post-war reconstruction efforts. In this context, United States President Joe Biden spoke with Zelensky on the same day and said that he would provide $425 million in security assistance to Kyiv to further enhance Ukraine's air defense capabilities. Biden's support is undoubtedly a recognition of Ukraine's "victory plan", but this is only the beginning, and many practical problems remain to be resolved.
Ukraine's plan for victory is not just a military concept, but also a diplomatic strategy. Zelensky intends to continue to push the war into Russia by replacing defense with offense. He hopes to use this to put more pressure on Russia, while seeking to deploy US tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine to ensure its strategic advantage. In addition, Ukraine also plans to impose economic sanctions on Russia in order to weaken its combat effectiveness and strive to end the conflict as soon as possible.
However, in the face of this ambition, the reality is very harsh. There is already a serious shortage of troops in Ukraine, and no matter how hard Zelensky tries, it seems that he cannot change this fact. The consumption of the fighting is rapidly exceeding expectations, the resources that Ukraine can mobilize are drying up, and even if Ukraine can mobilize more criminals to the battlefield and bring in 300,000 people abroad to form some NATO brigades, it will still be difficult to fill the bottomless pit of war attrition.
The picture shows a soldier of the Ukrainian army
Moreover, although Western countries have given Ukraine some support, they will not end up personally for Ukraine. As history has taught us, support between nations is often based on self-interest. Unless Ukraine faces a complete collapse, Western countries will intervene more actively.
In the face of Zelensky's constant promotion of his victory plan, Russia's reaction appeared unusually firm. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on October 16: "The only peace plan is for the Kyiv regime to realize the futility of the policies it is pursuing and to understand the need for soberness." This statement not only conveys Russia's disregard for Ukraine's victory plan, but also reflects its confidence in the current situation. Russia's attitude can be summed up in six words: "Don't care, there's no point." ”
The picture shows Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
There are two main reasons behind this apathetic attitude. First, the current situation on the Kursk front and the eastern Ukrainian front is favorable to the Russian army, but relatively unfavorable to the Ukrainian army. According to information from the Russian army, they have recaptured 1 and a half of the Kursk region and maintained a strong offensive momentum on the Ukrainian front. That is to say, on the battlefield, the Russian army already has an initial advantage, as long as it continues to fight, if nothing else, they can fully control the 4 places in eastern Ukraine and Crimea as much as possible, and at the same time want the Ukrainian army in Kursk to come and go, so there is no need to negotiate peace with Ukraine at this time, and there is no need to care too much about Zelensky's victory plan.
Second, Russia's strategic goal is not only to defend its own territory, but also to establish a new buffer zone in Ukraine as a forward position in the confrontation with NATO. At this point, NATO's movements have also formed a certain "heart" with Russia. Both sides are aware of the special place that Ukraine occupies in geopolitics and are trying to turn it into a crucial pawn. Of course, for NATO, further control of Ukraine and making it the front line of NATO's direct confrontation with Russia in Eastern Europe is only its minimum strategic requirement, which is the result of the inability to weaken Russia through the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. For Russia, controlling the situation in Ukraine is undoubtedly guaranteeing its own security.
The picture shows a soldier of the Russian army
At the same time, the Russian side is constantly strengthening ties with neighboring countries, trying to create an alliance capable of confrontation with the West. Such a strategy would not only help ease the pressure on oneself in the war, but also provide more favorable bargaining chips for future negotiations. In this complex situation, Russia's firm position and high-pressure strategy are particularly obvious, and it is naturally afraid of Ukraine's "victory plan." ”
Of course, in addition to paying attention to the situation on the battlefield between Russia and Ukraine today, we also need to pay attention to the situation at our doorstep. Because of the sudden escalation of the situation on the peninsula, many legends have been circulated recently, one of the more interesting is that "Korea has troops stationed in 18 countries." According to public information, this so-called "18-nation garrison" is only 18 countries in Korea's "United Nations Command." Moreover, this command itself is also related to the "United Nations Army" in 1950, and many things are not as serious as they are reported.
Because this so-called "United Nations Command" was established in 1950, after the outbreak of the Korean War, by the United States in the absence of Soviet representatives to manipulate the Security Council, its main task is to coordinate the multinational forces involved in the Korean War. After the end of the Korean War, the command and the army were put in a very awkward position, and the United Nations later declared the agency illegal and not part of the United Nations.
The picture shows Germany joining the "United Nations Command"
However, in order to control the situation on the peninsula, in 2018, United States announced the completion of the reorganization of the "United Nations Command", including the establishment of commanders, deputy commanders, chiefs of staff and deputy chiefs of staff. What really affects Korea is the 28,000-strong U.S. military stationed in South Korea, which is mainly responsible for supporting and training the combined U.S.-South Korean army, the core of which is the Eighth Army and the Second Infantry Division.
All in all, the "victory plan" proposed by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, although eager to gain support through military and diplomatic means, actually faces a shortage of troops and the limitations of Western intervention. At the same time, rumors about the stationing of "United Nations forces" in Korea are actually empty shells with the participation of 18 countries in name, and it is still the US military stationed in South Korea that really affects the situation. Overall, the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the complex situation in the Asia-Pacific region, continue to pose challenges to international security.
As the ancients said, "If you want to be poor, go to the next level." "However, under the weight of the war, it remains to be seen where the future of Ukraine and the future of the peninsula will go."