Overview
- Multiple outlets reported that Valerii Zaluzhnyi told a meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors that Ukraine will "never" join NATO, remarks first reported on Monday and repeated by Reuters, The Kyiv Independent and POLITICO.
- Zaluzhnyi argued Ukraine’s armed forces do not meet NATO military standards and said Kyiv lacks key technologies such as anti‑missile defence and space capabilities that are expected of members.
- He criticised NATO as guided by outdated, World War II‑era doctrines and said it could take about 12 years for the alliance to adopt new standards able to counter Russia’s forces.
- Zaluzhnyi urged Kyiv to focus on emerging regional and European security arrangements as a practical alternative to accession, a shift that would raise pressure on Western partners to offer formal guarantees.
- The remarks come from a former commander now serving as ambassador to the UK who was dismissed in 2024, and they deepen a domestic debate about military leadership, Kyiv’s constitutional NATO goal and how to deter Russian aggression.