Former Ukrainian military chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi stated he believes Ukraine will not join NATO, suggesting the country may instead join future European security blocs.
Key facts
- •Valerii Zaluzhnyi served as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from 2021 to 2024.
- •Zaluzhnyi stated that NATO membership is impossible due to the current state of Ukrainian military development and NATO's reliance on outdated doctrines.
- •As of June 2026, polling showed 16% of Ukrainians would vote for Zaluzhnyi in a presidential election, compared to 32% for Volodymyr Zelensky.
- •The Joint Expeditionary Force is a military coalition led by the United Kingdom that does not mandate mutual defense among its members.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, stated he doubts Ukraine will ever join NATO. He shared these remarks during a discussion on Euro-Atlantic integration at a meeting of ambassadors in Kyiv.
Zaluzhnyi’s Assessment of NATO
Zaluzhnyi cited his 12 years of experience working toward NATO standards, noting that he frequently heard promises of imminent membership that never materialized. He argued that Ukraine cannot join an organization guided by World War II-era doctrines given the current development level of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Alternative Security Alliances
While acknowledging that Ukraine requires technologies currently held by NATO nations, Zaluzhnyi suggested the country is more likely to join alliances that have not yet been formed, specifically mentioning a potential European military-political security bloc. He also expressed regret that Ukraine is not currently working toward joining the Joint Expeditionary Force, a UK-led coalition that does not require mutual defense commitments.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Meduza (English).
