- Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's former top military commander and now ambassador to the UK, stated that Ukraine does not meet NATO's military standards.
- Zaluzhnyi emphasized that there is no prospect of Ukraine joining NATO, despite the country's constitutional goal of membership.
- Ukraine has enshrined in its constitution a strategic goal of membership of NATO and the European Union.
- Zaluzhnyi was dismissed as Ukraine's top commander in 2024 due to differences with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the conduct of the war with Russia.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's former top military commander and current ambassador to the UK, has declared that Ukraine will never join NATO, citing significant military shortcomings. He stated, “I know NATO really well. For about 12 years, I personally worked on making sure we met NATO standards, and every year I heard tales about how we would join NATO any day now. Unfortunately, we will never actually join.”1
Zaluzhnyi emphasized that the armed forces of Ukraine are not sufficiently developed to meet NATO's operational requirements, which he described as being guided by World War II doctrines. He noted that Ukraine lacks essential technologies already in use by NATO members, such as anti-missile defense and space capabilities.
Despite Ukraine enshrining its aspiration for NATO membership in its constitution, Zaluzhnyi acknowledged that the country is currently not welcomed by all NATO members. He remarked, “It is impossible with the level of development that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have.” This statement comes amid ongoing tensions with Russia, which has firmly rejected any notion of Ukrainian NATO membership. The situation highlights the complexities of Ukraine's military aspirations and the geopolitical landscape it navigates.
Zaluzhnyi was previously dismissed as Ukraine's top commander in 2024 due to differences with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the conduct of the war with Russia.4
“At a meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors, Zaluzhnyi recalled spending 12 years on NATO standards while hearing yearly tales that membership was imminent, and cited Ukraine's missing anti-missile and space capabilities. Ukraine's constitution still enshrines NATO membership as a strategic goal, though Kyiv admits not all alliance members would welcome it.”
The Guardian
