KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plan to end Ukraine's nearly three-year war with Russia has received mixed reactions from Western allies so far. The "victory plan" that Zelenskyy outlined at home and abroad includes a formal invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and permission to use Western long-range missiles to strike military targets in Russia — two steps Kyiv's allies have been reluctant to support before. U.
S. backing is crucial if Zelenskyy is to get support from other allies for proposals he believes are necessary to strengthen Ukraine's position on the battlefield and ahead of any peace negotiations. But analysts say the Biden administration is unlikely to make a decision before the U.
S. presidential election on Nov. 5, as it may not appeal to voters.
"They seem to be just doing very little now and waiting for the election," said Phillips O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. "So much of the strategy will live or die in Washington.
" Analysts said the plan is a step in the right direction for Ukraine's military efforts. They also described it as ambitious, given allies' fears of escalation with nuclear-armed Russia. Ukraine has previously secured Western support for requests once deemed unrealistic, such as Patriot air defense systems and F-16 jets.
Presenting the plan now puts on the radar for the next U.S. administration, analysts said, though it's unknown how the next president will receive it.
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