Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, was asked by the press on 6/8 to clarify comments he made two days prior, in which he suggested Ukraine would never join NATO.

Ambassador Zaluzhny, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, affirmed his support for NATO. He reiterated that he had advocated for the transformation of Ukraine's armed forces to the alliance's standards since 2019, despite facing criticism.

Russian drone attacks Ukrainian Abrams tank in a video released on 9/2. *Video: TASS, Russian Ministry of Defense*

Nevertheless, he stressed that the conflict in Ukraine has exposed NATO's weaknesses.

"As of 2026, Ukraine has utilized most weapons in NATO's arsenal, with the exception of Tomahawk cruise missiles, nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers, and F-35 fighter jets. The potential has been fully exploited. Russia has found ways to counter them all," he stated.

Ambassador Zaluzhny argued that the conflict has forced Ukraine's armed forces to evolve "beyond NATO's current doctrine," compelling the alliance to modernize. "The Ukrainian military has reached a completely different level. NATO has no choice but to transition to entirely new standards. Only then will NATO be ready for Ukraine's accession," he said.

The former Ukrainian commander-in-chief also reiterated his call for the establishment of a "completely new security bloc," potentially focused on Europe, to meet the demands of modern warfare.

Mr. Zaluzhny in London, UK in March. *Photo: Reuters*

On 3/8, Mr. Zaluzhny declared that Ukraine would never join NATO, citing that the alliance's military standards originated from "World War II-era doctrines." The comments drew criticism. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later stated that Mr. Zaluzhny's remarks were taken out of context and emphasized that Kyiv's goal of joining NATO remains unchanged.

Following the outbreak of conflict in early 2022, Ukraine received many weapons lauded by the West as "game-changers," including Javelin anti-tank missiles, HIMARS rocket artillery, Abrams main battle tanks, Patriot air defense systems, and F-16 fighter jets.

However, none of these assets enabled Ukraine to achieve a breakthrough. Many assets and Western-trained forces also suffered losses due to applying NATO's operational doctrine, which proved unsuitable for conditions in Ukraine.

A Patriot system launcher at an undisclosed location in Ukraine in August 2024. *Photo: Reuters*

Mr. Zaluzhny was dismissed as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military in 2024 due to disagreements with President Volodymyr Zelensky over the conduct of the conflict. Public opinion polls indicated General Zaluzhny had a trust rating similar to President Zelensky and former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed last month.

Source: Pham Giang (According to Kyiv Post, UNN, RT)