On August 3, 2026, local time, Ukraine held a closed-door meeting of all its overseas ambassadors. General Zaluzhnyi, former Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and current Ambassador to the United Kingdom, spoke:

"I am very familiar with NATO. For roughly 12 years, I have personally been striving to bring our military up to NATO standards. Every year, we've heard fairy tales about our imminent accession to NATO. But regrettably, the truth is that we will never join NATO."

Zaluzhnyi also stated that the most likely scenario is that NATO will remain unchanged, while Ukraine will need approximately another 12 years to reach the level of standards required—specifically, half the industrial capacity of Russia’s defense sector.

This statement has triggered significant shock across Ukraine’s political and military circles. As a key figure who once actively pushed for the 'NATO-ization' of the Ukrainian military, Zaluzhnyi’s public declaration that Ukraine “will never join NATO” represents a fundamental reversal of Ukraine’s established national strategy—and a severe blow to the current government.

Zaluzhnyi bluntly stated that the promises of NATO membership over the past 12 years were merely "fairy tales," and the root cause lies in the objective reality of the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine is currently in active combat, while NATO’s foundational principle is the "collective defense clause." Accepting Ukraine would mean NATO would be forced to directly enter into war with Russia. Although the U.S. and Europe are willing to provide weapons and financial aid, they remain unwilling to engage in direct military conflict with Russia. Thus, as long as the war continues, Ukraine will forever be blocked by this political threshold.

Zaluzhnyi believes the barrier preventing Ukraine from joining NATO is no longer purely military. After enduring brutal real-world combat, Ukraine’s armed forces have accumulated rich experience in drones, electronic warfare, and long-range strikes—so much so that many NATO countries now look to Ukraine for lessons. In contrast, NATO’s command structure and operational doctrines still carry strong imprints of World War II and the Cold War era. He openly stated that Ukraine’s current military development level is fundamentally insufficient to join a military alliance still guided by outdated theories. He even suggested that NATO itself may need another 12 years to restructure and adapt to modern warfare.

Zaluzhnyi’s remarks also reflect his sober, even pessimistic assessment of the current battlefield situation. He pointed out that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has evolved into a prolonged war of attrition, with both sides locked in a state of mutual deterrence. He warned that believing "Russia has already lost" is a dangerous misinterpretation. Ukraine currently relies heavily on Western financial and weapon support, and its domestic defense production capacity (which he estimates would take 12 years to reach half of Russia’s) remains critically inadequate. If Western support weakens, Ukraine will not only fail to achieve a decisive victory but could face catastrophic defeat.

In summary, Zaluzhnyi’s statement represents a deeply informed military elite’s “desperate clarity” about reality. It not only exposes the geopolitical truth behind Ukraine’s failed attempts to gain NATO membership, but also reveals deep internal fissures within Ukraine regarding the direction of the war, national security strategy, and high-level power distribution.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872549290170378/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.