Zelensky unveils Ukraine's "victory plan"

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"

In the fist months of 2025, China's real estate market has shown the signs of booming, with multiple cities across the country experiencing a notable uptick in transactions and land auction fervor.

In Beijing, data showed that from January to February, over 24,000 second-hand residential units were registered, marking a nearly 30 percent year-on-year increase.

"From the current influx of new clientele and the proactive attitude of homeowners listing their properties, we expect March to potentially outpace February in transaction volume," said Hu Deping, a real estate agent in Chaoyang District, Beijing.

The enthusiasm in the housing market has also resonated in the land auction sector. Recent statistics showed that the total land acquisition by the top 100 real estate companies in the first two months of this year surged by 26.7 percent year on year, with an average premium rate of 13.4 percent.

This trend is evident in Shanghai, where the volume of second-hand property transactions in February, including commercial and residential units, doubled compared to last year, soaring by 123 percent to over 16,700 units, particularly gaining momentum in the final two weeks of the month. The first round of residential land auctions in Shanghai this year saw all four parcels sold, totaling over 15.9 billion yuan.

"In this year's land auctions, we are gradually witnessing new benchmarks for floor prices in various regions. The developers' land acquisition activities subtly indicate their growing confidence in the market's future," said analyst Lu Wenxi from Shanghai Zhongyuan Real Estate.

Experts anticipate that in the coming months, as the sales momentum continues to stabilize and the successful release of premium land plots boosts market dynamics, developers' eagerness and confidence in acquiring land will persist.

"The 2025 market is expected to experience a structural recovery following a period of stabilization, with favorable policies injecting new growth momentum into the market," said Tang Daizhong, an associate professor at Tongji University's School of Economics and Management.

China's real estate market sees first trading boom in 2025