"I know NATO very well. I have worked for about 12 years to ensure we adopt NATO standards, and every year I hear the fairy tale that we are about to become NATO members. Unfortunately, we will never join the bloc," Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK, stated on 3/8.

Mr. Zaluzhny, former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, made the statement during a meeting with Ukrainian ambassadors in Kiev.

He argued that given the current capabilities of the Ukrainian military, joining an organization "led by World War II doctrine" is impossible. He also strongly criticized NATO's overall capabilities.

Valery Zaluzhny speaking in Kiev, Ukraine in 2023. Photo: AFP

"It is likely that NATO will remain in its current form and take another 12 years, as Ukraine once did, to transition to the necessary standards to achieve at least one-half of Russia's military level," the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military said.

However, he acknowledged that Ukraine needs technology possessed by NATO members, including ballistic missile defense weapons. Regarding future security guarantees for Kiev, General Zaluzhny suggested that alliances other than NATO would likely be more effective.

"Ukraine will align with blocs and alliances that may be formed, most likely a European military security bloc," he said.

The former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military also believes that the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is an effective security mechanism, though he admitted the force is still "weak and has not reached the level" Ukraine needs.

"The JEF has had a command mechanism since 2015," he noted, while expressing regret that Ukraine is not currently seeking to join the JEF.

The JEF is a UK-led rapid reaction force with 10 other members: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. This force is designed for rapid deployment to respond to crises in Northern Europe, as well as to support NATO operations in various other locations.

Notably, the JEF does not have a collective defense mechanism or a provision obligating members to defend each other, unlike NATO. Ukraine has participated in an agreement to strengthen cooperation with the JEF.

At its 2008 summit, NATO agreed to admit Georgia and Ukraine in the future, but did not specify a timeline. In 2019, Ukraine amended its constitution to include the goal of becoming a full member of NATO and the European Union (EU).

However, the country acknowledges that it is not currently welcomed into the alliance by all NATO members.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and US President Donald Trump meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey on 8/7. Photo: AP

When launching its campaign in Ukraine in early 2022, Russia stated that one of its goals was to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, arguing that this posed a serious danger to Russia's security.

In 12/2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to abandon its efforts to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from the US and its allies.

Mr. Zaluzhny was dismissed from his position as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military in 2024 due to disagreements with Mr. Zelensky on how to conduct the war with Russia. Public opinion polls show General Zaluzhny has an approval rating nearly equivalent to President Zelensky and former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who lost his position last month.

Pham Giang (According to Ukrainska Pravda, Reuters)