Zelenskyy City-Hops, Seeking Aid       10/11 06:24

   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was city-hopping across Europe on 
Thursday to promote a "victory plan" that he said "aims to create the right 
conditions for a just end to the war" against Russia, detailing the proposals 
to European allies after a summit with President Joe Biden was derailed by 
Hurricane Milton.

   ROME (AP) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was city-hopping across 
Europe on Thursday to promote a "victory plan" that he said "aims to create the 
right conditions for a just end to the war" against Russia, detailing the 
proposals to European allies after a summit with President Joe Biden was 
derailed by Hurricane Milton.

   Zelenskyy's talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and 
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte were quickly followed by another meeting in 
Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, who just the previous day sent a 
strong signal of support for Ukraine by visiting Ukrainian troops being trained 
in France.

   Zelenskyy posted on X that he "outlined the details" of the Ukrainian 
victory plan to Starmer and added: "We have agreed to work on it together with 
our allies."

   Starmer's Downing Street office said the leaders discussed the blueprint, 
the challenges for Ukraine of the approaching winter and "how investment in the 
country's security today would support Europe's broader security for 
generations to come."

   The Ukrainian leader also met Rutte with Starmer. Zelenskyy posted afterward 
that they discussed trans-Atlantic cooperation and further reinforcing Ukraine 
militarily. He gave no details but posted that "these are the steps that will 
create the best conditions for restoring a just peace."

   Zelenskyy has yet to publicly present his proposals for victory. But the 
timing of his efforts to lock in European support appeared to have the looming 
U.S. election in mind. Former President Donald Trump has long been critical of 
U.S. aid to Ukraine.

   Zelenskyy had planned to present his blueprint at a weekend meeting of 
Western leaders in Germany, but it was postponed after Biden stayed home 
because of the hurricane that struck Florida.

   Zelenskyy then embarked on his whistle-stop tour of European capitals that 
have been among Ukraine's staunchest allies outside of the United States.

   In Paris, Macron and Zelenskyy hugged before talks on the plan at the French 
presidential Elysee Palace. Afterward, Zelenskyy said "all the details" would 
come in November and that he's talking with allies about securing more military 
aid and permission for Ukrainian forces to carry out long-range strikes.

   Kyiv wants Western partners to allow strikes deep inside Russia, using 
long-range weapons they provide. Some, including the U.K. and France, appear 
willing, but Biden is reticent about escalating the conflict.

   "The situation looks bleak for all sides," Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior 
fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said Thursday on X. "The West 
hesitates amid internal divisions, Ukraine struggles while bracing for a harsh 
winter, and Russia presses forward without any strategic shifts in its favor, 
yet grows increasingly impatient."

   Later Thursday, Zelenskyy met in Rome with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, 
who ensured Italy's full and continued support "at both bilateral and 
multilateral level in order to put Kyiv in the best position possible to build 
a just and lasting peace."

   Meloni said the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the situation on 
the ground and Ukraine's "most immediate military, financial and humanitarian 
needs, as well as the forthcoming diplomatic initiatives and the pathway to 
bring an end to the conflict."

   She added that Rome will continue to do its part also in the future 
reconstruction of Ukraine and announced the dates for the next Ukraine recovery 
conference, which will be held in Rome in July 2025.

   Zelenskyy stressed that his priority is to strengthen Ukraine's position, 
with the help of its international partners, to create the necessary conditions 
for diplomacy.

   "Russia is not really looking for a diplomatic path," he said. "If we are 
able to implement the victory plan, Russia won't be able to continue the war."

   Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Pope Francis Friday morning for a half-hour 
audience, the Vatican said. Later in the day, he'll meet German Chancellor Olaf 
Scholz in Berlin.

   Ukraine relies heavily on Western support, including tens of billions of 
dollars' worth of military and financial aid, to keep up the fight against its 
bigger enemy after almost 1,000 days of fighting since the full-scale Russian 
invasion began in 2022.

   Fearing that crucial help could be in jeopardy due to political changes in 
donor countries, Ukraine has been building up its domestic arms industry. It 
also wants to raise more money from taxpayers to pay for the war effort. The 
Ukrainian parliament passed a bill on second reading Thursday that raises the 
so-called military tax from 1.5% to 5%. Some amendments are expected before it 
becomes law.

   Zelenskyy's tour comes as Russia continues a slow but relentless drive 
deeper into Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and targets key infrastructure 
with airstrikes.

   Zelenskyy said Wednesday that the victory plan seeks to strengthen Ukraine 
"both geopolitically and on the battlefield" before any kind of dialogue with 
Russia.

   "Weakness of any of our allies will inspire (Russian President Vladimir) 
Putin," he said. "That's why we're asking them to strengthen us, in terms of 
security guarantees, in terms of weapons, in terms of our future after this 
war. In my view, he (Putin) only understands force."

   The death toll from a Russian ballistic missile strike on Ukraine's southern 
city of Odesa rose Thursday to eight, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said. It was the 
latest in a string of assaults on the Black Sea port.

   Authorities in Kyiv also announced Thursday that Ukrainian journalist 
Viktoria Roshchyna died while being in Russian captivity, although the 
circumstances of her death remained unknown. Moscow admitted detaining 
Roshchyna, who went missing in 2023 while on a reporting trip to 
Russia-occupied areas.