Kyiv wants to unveil “victory plan” to U.S. presidential hopefuls in September
Source: Ukraine 2024. Independence forum
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Ukraine will be pitch its ambitious “Victory Plan” to both leading U.S. presidential candidates—Kamala Harris and Donald Trump—this September.
During the “Ukraine 2024. Independence” forum, Zelenskyy detailed the key components of the strategic blueprint. that encompasses several critical areas: the ongoing situation in the Kursk region, Ukraine’s strategic role in global security, a robust package to compel Russia to end the war diplomatically, and economic measures.
“The Kursk region is a pivotal part of our victory plan,” Zelenskyy said. “The plan also highlights Ukraine’s strategic position in global security, a strong diplomatic push to end the war with Russia, and significant economic strategies.”
Zelenskyy stressed the importance of the U.S. president’s support for the plan, noting that the success of the initiative largely hinges on the support and resources that the U.S. will provide.
“It’s only fair that I present this plan first to the U.S. President,” Zelenskyy added. “The success of this plan depends on whether we receive the support outlined in it and how freely we can utilize it.”
In 2025, the deadliest year yet for civilians, Ukraine’s three largest charitable foundations raised a record 105.9 billion hryvnias. It is more than the years 2022–2024 combined. According to the UN, humanitarian aid in Ukraine was delivered by more than 450 organisations, reaching five million people over the course of the year. Civic foundations hold licences to purchase lethal weapons, which is a function states have monopolised for centuries. These record sums were underwritten by international government grants, which means foreign states now channel billions directly through Ukrainian civic funds, bypassing inter-state channels. It is hard to imagine a stronger institutional trust in civil society.
During the GLOBSEC Defence Forum 2026 in Prague, representatives of “Steel Front”, an initiative by Rinat Akhmetov, discussed with NATO delegations, military officials, and representatives of the European defense industry the lessons learned from Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine witnessed an unprecedented wave of private support for the army. Citizens, big businesses, charitable foundations, and international philanthropists began financing the country’s defense alongside state assistance provided by international partners. Estimates of total private contributions range from tens to hundreds of billions of hryvnias. However, determining the exact amount remains difficult. In many cases, companies combine military aid, humanitarian programs, tax payments, social spending, and employee support in their reporting.
Rinat Akhmetov’s military initiative, “Steel Front”, has delivered a batch of drones worth UAH 214 million to the 1st “Azov” Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. This shipment is part of the Metinvest Group’s ongoing support for the unit in 2025.
On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.