 "Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Source: AP")
It has been just three days since President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed his “victory plan” for the war.
On Wednesday (October 16), he highlighted that part of his bold strategy to secure a win in the war was securing Ukraine’s future in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) and gaining permission to use Western-supplied long-range missiles to target Russian military positions deep within its territory.
This is not a one-sided effort. At least some Nato members are in favour of giving Ukraine Nato membership.
Several Nato members have already expressed their support for Ukraine’s entry into the alliance. On Saturday (October 19), the Group of Seven (G7) defence ministers endorsed Ukraine’s “irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership,” in a statement signalling continued Western backing.
What is Russia doing?
While Zelenskyy courts Nato for greater military and strategic support, Russia is relying on ‘CRINK’ allies— China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea— to bolster its war effort. These nations have been vital in maintaining Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.
Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed drones, which regularly bombard Ukrainian cities, and deployed military advisers to assist Russian forces.
US and Ukrainian officials also allege that Iran has provided ballistic missiles, though Tehran has denied these accusations. North Korea, meanwhile, has delivered significant quantities of artillery shells and missiles, vital to sustaining Russia’s slow advances on the battlefield.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAccording to Ukrainian officials, North Korea has even sent thousands of troops to support Russian operations, although these reports remain unverified.
China, for its part, insists it is not providing arms to Russia. However, Washington maintains that Beijing is aiding Vladimir Putin’s war efforts indirectly. China has become a key purchaser of Russian energy and is supplying critical exports such as microchips and other technology, which are essential to keeping Russia’s war machine running.
This week, Russian and Chinese officials met in Beijing, pledging to deepen cooperation, and the two nations have conducted joint military exercises in recent months, further solidifying their partnership.
While Ukraine’s Western allies continue to supply Kyiv with crucial military aid, they have imposed restrictions on the use of this assistance, particularly when it comes to striking targets inside Russia.
In contrast, CRINK members have placed no such limitations on their support, allowing Russia more freedom in how it deploys their assistance in the war effort.
As both sides rely on their respective alliances, the geopolitical stakes in the Russia-Ukraine conflict continue to escalate.
With inputs from agencies