Mr. Zaluzhny, a very famous former military commander, who was dismissed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2024, made this comment at a meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors earlier this week, AFP quoted European media. Mr. Zaluzhny is currently the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK.
I understand NATO very well. In about 12 years, I personally researched and mastered NATO standards. And every year, I hear the same fairy tale that we are about to join" - Mr. Zaluzhny said.
The former Ukrainian army commander emphasized: "Unfortunately, we will never join".
Mr. Valery Zaluzhny said that, "with the current level of development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine", Ukraine cannot join an alliance that "complies with doctrines from World War II".
Ukraine is confident in progress in the military industry, especially drone technology (UAV). This country has strongly developed UAVs since the conflict with Russia broke out more than 4 years ago.
AFP noted that in a commentary published in the British Daily Telegraph last month, Mr. Zaluzhny said that the conflict in Ukraine has "revealed uncomfortable questions about whether NATO is capable enough for 21st-century conflicts".
Ukraine has every reason to appreciate the support that NATO members have been and are providing. But respect for the alliance should not prevent honest assessment of the alliance's shortcomings," he wrote.
The former Ukrainian army commander added that Ukraine's combat capability depends heavily on the continuous support from allies.
Mr. Zaluzhny is still the most trusted public figure in Ukraine, with 73% of support, according to a June poll by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.
