MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and the Kiev regime are placing their hopes in vain on Western aid amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukrainian Colonel General Dmitry Marchenko said on Tuesday.
"I believe that the war is far from nearing its completion, especially considering our precarious positions. On the other hand, we lack both soldiers and weapons for combat. Therefore, relying on our Western partners is not the solution; we should depend on ourselves," the general stated in an interview with former Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Borislav Beryoza, posted on the ex-MP’s YouTube channel.
Marchenko criticized Zelensky and his inner circle for failing to recognize that the West pursues its own interests, particularly regarding the Ukrainian president’s "victory plan."
"This plan lacks any points addressing Ukraine or our needs. Do they owe us anything? No, nobody owes us anything. A responsible leader primarily thinks about his own people, not the citizens of other countries. Leaders of other states will not jeopardize their own citizens for our sake," he emphasized.
On October 16, Zelensky presented his 'peace plan' to the Ukrainian parliament. The plan includes an immediate invitation for Ukraine to join NATO, the transfer of new military aid, strikes deep within Russia, and an expanded European air defense shield over Ukraine.
Additionally, the plan proposes deploying a non-nuclear strategic deterrence package on Ukrainian territory and outlines the country’s post-conflict recovery with Western assistance. On October 17, Zelensky clarified that the deterrence package would involve placing Western missiles in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Zelensky’s proposals as a collection of incoherent slogans.
Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly called on Western partners for increased military aid while occasionally criticizing them for delays and insufficient supplies. The Kiev regime seeks to shift blame onto its allies for the failures of the Ukrainian army on the frontlines. Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently stated that new arms supplies to the Kiev regime will not alter the situation at the front and will only prolong the conflict.