Ukraine's NATO Hope: A New War Strategy?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a new idea to end the war with Russia quickly. He thinks if NATO invites Ukraine to join, focusing on the areas Kyiv still controls, it could protect those regions and help Ukraine get back the rest of its territory through talks. But there's a problem. Ukraine's constitution says it can't recognize areas occupied by Russia as Russian, so NATO would have to protect all of Ukraine, not just the parts it controls now. Since the war started in 2022, Russia has been slowly taking more Ukrainian land, using lots of weapons and losing many lives. Zelenskyy believes NATO membership could change this. He calls it his "victory plan, " which he shared with Ukraine and Western allies in October. The plan aims to make Ukraine stronger in future talks with Russia.

NATO's new boss, Mark Rutte, agrees the alliance needs to do more for Ukraine. When NATO's foreign ministers meet in Brussels from December 3, they'll likely talk about military aid and peace deals. But joining NATO takes time and needs all members to agree. Ukraine faces heavy pressure along its 1, 000-kilometer frontline. Russian forces are advancing in key areas, and Ukraine's air force reported ten Russian drone attacks last Saturday. Ukraine says Russia shot down 11 of its drones. Zelenskyy also changed military leadership to improve the battlefield situation.

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