"[Volodymyr Zelensky] wants to get people to support his 'victory plan', which really is not a victory plan," Earl Rasmussen, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel and international consultant, tells Sputnik, commenting on Zelensky's trip to the US.
The Ukrainian politician is pushing ahead with the idea of striking deep inside Russia with NATO long-range missiles, something that Western leaders have so far had cold feet about.
"Let's face it, when he goes deep into Russia, those weapons systems basically need intelligence from the United States - NATO and specifically the US," Rasmussen says. "The intelligence information provided, the targeting, the programing, all is not done by Ukrainians. So basically the West becomes a full participant in the conflict then, which would basically then open up the avenue for escalation."
In fact, Zelensky's plan is nothing but a US neocon grand design, according to the military veteran: it's about NATO's expansion, weakening Russia and containing China as well.
Rasmussen notes that neocons have been rolling out their Ukraine strategy for quite a while, seeking to install a military base in Crimea, maintaining secret bio-labs in Ukraine, and undermining any peace effort Russia has pursued over the past decade.
What's more, the proposal is absolutely unrealistic, being a one-sided attempt to coerce Russia into surrendering under Ukraine and the West's conditions, the pundit continues.
"They're basically trying to dictate to Russia the terms of whatever agreement there is. And that's unrealistic. It's a non-nonstarter. It's not real negotiations. It's not a proposal for real peace. It just stretches the conflict on," he concludes.