Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to unveil his plan to win the war against Russia to Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday, following a tour of the plan to Western allies who were less than enthused.

The so-called “victory plan” — which outlines the conditions under which Ukraine would be prepared to negotiate peace — is considered by many as Ukraine’s last resort to strengthen its hand in any future cease-fire negotiations with Russia.

No country however has thus far publicly endorsed or commented on it, with several European leaders presented with Zelenskyy’s proposals as he toured European capitals from London to Berlin.

None gave indication they would support the plan, with some expressing concerns over the tight deadline set by Zelenskyy, who gave allies just three months to adopt the blueprint’s main tenets in late September.

US President Joe Biden, to whom Zelenskyy first promoted the plan on a tour of the US, has also not given much public encouragement.

Although the Ukrainian leader has kept quiet about the details of the plan, some aspects of it have come to light.

Making Ukraine a member of NATO; allowing the country to use Western long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russia; providing resources to strengthen Ukraine’s air and other defences, and intensifying sanctions against Russia are all core elements of the plan.

Zelenskyy has said that the plan is necessary for Ukraine to begin the process to negotiate peace.

The leader wants to put the “victory plan” in place before a new US president is sworn in next year, following remarks from presidential candidate Donald Trump that he would cut or significantly reduce funding to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader’s presentation of the plan to the country’s Parliament, announced on Monday by presidential adviser Serhii Leshchenko, comes as the country’s military is suffering heavy losses along its eastern front as Russian forces inch closer to the eastern city of Pokrovsk.

Kyiv has long been militarily outnumbered by Moscow, with limited ammunition stocks and difficulty mobilising troops to fight in the war.

Ukrainian officials were expecting feedback from Western allies at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, during which defence leaders from 50-plus partner nations gather to coordinate weapons aid for the war. Scheduled for this past weekend, the summit was postponed after Biden cancelled his attendance in response to Hurricane Milton in the US

Although the US has been one of Kyiv’s main backers, Biden has been less supportive over using long-range weapons to strike in Russia, fearing a possible escalation.

Many expect Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris to continue Biden’s policy and maintain the status quo. Under Biden, US assistance to Kyiv, though substantial, has consistently arrived too late to make a significant difference for Ukrainian forces.

Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump has claimed he would end the war, although he has not elaborated on how.

Meanwhile, Brazil and China have proposed alternate peace plans that Zelenskyy has rejected, saying they would merely pause the war and give Moscow time to consolidate its battered army and defence industry.

On Monday, October 14, 2024 a team of operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, comprising four officers were at Urban Radio 94.5FM, Enugu to invite one Favour Ekoh, host of Prime Time, a programme running at the Station.

Ekoh is being investigated by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC in an alleged N700 million Ponzi scheme fraud involving about fifty (50) victims. According to the victims, Ekoh allegedly lured them into investing in a scheme “Life Trading” in a company, Leverage Index Limited, where they were offered returns on investment of 10 percent of their capitals after a period of time.

The victims alleged that after investing their money into the company located at No. 1 Colliery Street, Okpara Avenue, Enugu State, the company closed its office with no return on investment or principal returned to the victims. Ekoh allegedly invited the victims into the business and she remained the only link the victims could hold.

At the Radio Station, operatives of the Commission, holding a warrant of arrest for Ekoh, identified themselves as officers of the EFCC. They informed the Managing Director of the Station, Bamikole Owoyomi, about their mission. However, in a rather strange twist, a staff of the Station called the Chairman of the Radio Station who ordered that the gate of the building be locked in and out, thereby holding the officers hostage. Faced with such hostility, they called for a rescue team which eventually arrested Omoyomi, Ekoh and the two security guards that locked them within the premises of the Station.

Ekoh had to be trailed to the Station for an arrest because the nature of the fraudulent dealings necessitated a sting operation that would foreclose her escape or going underground. She was neither arrested while on air nor any disruption of the lawful activities of the Radio Station took place. No equipment of the Station was tampered with and she has since been released after being allowed to make a Statement at the Enugu office. Owoyomi and the two security guards were arrested for obstruction of justice as they initially prevented the operatives from carrying out their official duty. They also made statements to that effect and had since been released.

The EFCC holds the media in high esteem both as the fourth estate of the realm and critical stakeholder in the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption, but the precipitate and unlawful obstruction of officers of the Commission from carrying out their duties, by staff of the Radio Station, is unacceptable. Besides, the professional credentials of Ekoh, a principal suspect in a Ponzi scheme to the tune of N700m affecting 50 innocent Nigerians, are questionable. The Commission hereby calls on the International Press Institute, IPI, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, to investigate the conduct of the Station in the light of integrity and ethical professional practice.

Visit www.efcc.gov.ng for more stories

Last Wednesday, October 9, a storage base in Russia’s Krasnodar region was attacked by the Ukrainian military. Less than 24 hours later, the Khanskaya military airfield was targeted.

This information is reported by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. The first attack, on the Krasnodar base, reportedly destroyed nearly 400 Shahed drones. “The destruction of this storage base will significantly reduce the ability of the Russian occupiers to spread terror,” the Defense Ministry said.

The next day, Ukrainian forces struck the Khanskaya military airfield, a location that Moscow uses to refuel aircraft as well as launch attacks on enemy territory. According to the Kiev Post, the base housed 37 L-39 training aircraft, 12 Su-34 fighter bombers, four Su-35S fighter jets, two Diamond DA42 reconnaissance aircraft, and two Mi-8 helicopters.

Although many videos are circulating on social media showing significant black smoke rising from the warehouses, the extent of the damage has not yet been determined.

(MH with Manon Pierre – Source: L’Indépendant – Illustration: Unsplash)