Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday presented to parliament his "victory plan," outlining Ukraine's strategy in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
"If we begin implementing this Victory Plan now, we could end the war no later than the next year," Zelensky was quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency as saying.
Zelensky said the five-point plan covers geopolitical, military, economic and security goals, emphasizing that inviting Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the "near future" is its key element.
Other proposals include lifting the current restrictions hindering Ukraine from using long-range Western weapons on targets inside Russia and placing a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package in Ukraine, Zelensky said.
He also said the document envisages that Ukraine will jointly protect, use and invest in its critical resources with partners.
Besides, Kiev stands ready to replace U.S. military contingents in Europe with Ukrainian units after the end of the conflict, according to the plan, which also contains three classified annexes.
After presenting the "Victory Plan" to the parliament, the Ukrainian president is going to submit it to the European Council on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova refuted Zelensky's "Victory Plan" by saying it could push NATO toward a direct conflict with Russia, which would only bring disaster to the Ukrainian people.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on the same day that the new proposal is likely just the same American plan to fight until the last Ukrainian, which Zelensky has now disguised as a "peace plan."
Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, said in an interview that the organization will conduct further discussions on the content mentioned in Zelensky's "Victory Plan".
He affirmed that NATO will continue supporting Ukraine and keep providing military equipment for it. However, he also noted these actions do not mean that NATO supports all the content in the "Victory Plan", as further information and discussions on it are required.
Previously, NATO repeatedly said it would accept Ukraine as a member, but hasn't given an exact timetable yet.
Zelensky unveils Ukraine's "victory plan"
Governments at all levels across China are promoting consumer goods trade-ins and industrial equipment upgrade with preferential policies and subsidies, bringing about significant growth in home appliance sales and equipment production. So far this year, the trade-in policies have brought a total sale of one trillion yuan (about 137 billion U.S. dollars) nationwide, and boosted production of trade-in-related goods like new energy vehicles (NEVs) and home-use freezers.
In Shanghai, in addition to the eight categories of nationwide subsidized products, like refrigerators, television sets, and computers, the local government introduced extra subsidies for additional home appliances, as well as interior materials, furniture, elderly-friendly products, and more to meet local needs.
According to statistics, Shanghai's trade-ins of home appliances have exceeded 6.4 million times, boosting trade of the eight categories by 30 to 40 percent compared to last year's statistics, and the total sales of home appliances on all platforms exceeded 10 billion yuan (about 1.37 billion U.S. dollars).
In central China's Hubei Province, the local government is providing subsidies unlimited times for passenger vehicles trade-ins, expanding subsidized kitchen and bathroom appliances, and involving interior goods and materials to the list, benefiting consumers in over 4.5 million transactions and bringing a total sale of 50 billion yuan (about 6.8 billion U.S. dollars).
In the first three quarters, industrial equipment upgrade policies have stimulated investments in equipment and tools, featuring a 16.4 percent year-on-year increase, with food manufacturing, agricultural products processing, and metal smelting equipment production increasing by 38.1 percent, 34.6 percent, and 13.2 percent, respectively.
In addition to consumer goods, governments at all levels have been actively offering allowances and providing guidance for companies to upgrade appliances and technologies to facilitate domestic consumption "We have applied for nearly 50 million yuan (about 6.8 million U.S. dollars) funding for equipment upgrades. With active advertising and mobilization, we encouraged local advantageous companies in machinery and medicine and health to apply, and provide guidance for them on company digitalization and technology upgrade," said Yu Biao, deputy director of the Development and Reform Bureau of Xinchang County in Shaoxing City of east China's Zhejiang Province.
Companies are also benefiting from the policy, and many are pursuing expansion with government allowances.
"We have benefited from the 'one-time pre-tax deduction policy for equipment and tools under 5 million yuan (about 680,000 U.S. dollars)' and reinvested additional funds for the Phase II expansion. As a result, the annual processing capacity has increased from 80,000 tonnes to 130,000 tonnes," said Tang Kaibo, general manager of Liaoning Lvyuan Renewable Energy Development Co., Ltd.
Local governments promote trade-ins, equipment upgrade with policies, subsidies
