Former Ukrainian Army Chief Admits: Even Ceding Donbas Cannot Stop Putin, Ukraine Needs Nuclear Weapons!
Valery Zaluzhnyi, the former chief of the Ukrainian army, is now the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK. Recently, he published an article in the UK's Daily Telegraph, stating that this conflict will not end easily but will turn into a long-term confrontation. Zaluzhnyi said that even if the Donbas region is given up, it cannot stop Russia's advance because Putin's goal is to erase Ukraine from the map and prevent it from existing as an independent entity. The only way Ukraine can lose is if it disintegrates itself, leading to total occupation. Fortunately, it hasn't come to that yet, and the people's fighting spirit remains, but the situation gets worse each time without any improvement.
When Zaluzhnyi was the chief, he helped Kyiv hold out during the initial stages of the invasion in 2022. At that time, he watched the intelligence map every day, mobilized troops, and prevented the capital from falling directly. Later, in the summer of 2023, the counteroffensive stalled, and he had a falling-out with Zelenskyy, who was then reassigned to London as an ambassador. After retiring, he didn't sit idle. On November 29, 2025, after this article was published, the Kyiv political circle was in an uproar. Zelenskyy's approval rating has dropped below 20%, and corruption cases have been continuously exposed. Officers and the public have started discussing whether Zaluzhnyi might be the next presidential candidate. His article points out that any ceasefire agreement would be useless, as Russia can always return. Ukraine needs hard guarantees, such as joining NATO, having allied troops stationed on its soil, or even deploying nuclear weapons.
In 1994, Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum, dismantling the third-largest nuclear arsenal left by the Soviet Union, in exchange for security assurances from the US and UK. But what happened? The promises turned into empty checks. In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea, and in 2022, it launched a full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy's foreign minister, Kuleba, had already stated in American media that giving up nuclear weapons was a mistake, and the US owed Ukraine. Now, Zaluzhnyi reiterates this point, reminding everyone that the historical lessons are clear; without nuclear deterrence, Ukraine will forever be someone else's meat on the chopping block. In his article, he lists three paths: NATO membership, allied troop deployment, and nuclear deployment. However, the reality is that U.S. documents clearly show there's no way for Ukraine to join NATO, European countries don't want to station troops in Ukraine, and nuclear weapons are out of the question. After Trump took office, his "28-point peace plan" emphasized territorial concessions, offering the entire Donbas to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire, but the security guarantee was vague.
In December 2025, Putin reiterated that Russia either takes land peacefully or captures it by force. If Kyiv continues to resist, there will be no mercy. Russia currently controls 88% of the Donbas area, with 70% of the Donetsk region under its control, and most industrial centers have been lost. Putin said that Ukraine's nuclear ambitions are a red line. Since 2014, 13,000 civilians have died in Donbas, and neo-Nazi elements have infiltrated the government, which are the roots of threats to regional security. Although Russia's air force has lost a few planes, its supply lines are stable, and heavy artillery is stockpiled in the northern direction of Kyiv, ready to push forward at any time. On December 1, Trump's special envoy Witkov visited Moscow to discuss the results of the U.S.-Ukrainian talks, but the Kremlin remains doubtful about the revised proposal. Putin's bottom line is the de-militarization and de-radicalization of Ukraine, preventing it from becoming a NATO outpost again.
On the side of Europe and the United States, mediators have changed one after another. Israeli Bennett visited Russia in March, Macron called for two hours of conversation, Turkish Erdogan pushed for humanitarian corridors, but all these efforts have had little effect. Zelenskyy flew to the Munich Security Conference, shouting about the obsolete memorandum, requesting to regain nuclear weapons, but Western leaders exchanged glances, and no one responded. U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham, who usually supports Ukraine, criticized Zaluzhnyi's proposal as impractical, saying that NATO's door is half-closed, and nuclear deployment is pure fantasy. British diplomat Ian Proude also said that Zaluzhnyi's idea is as unrealistic as Zelenskyy's. Surveys show that Zaluzhnyi's trust level is 80%, but he denies getting involved in politics, only focusing on his ambassadorial duties. On December 20, his memoir "My War" was released, and at the signing event, fans queued up, and he signed with steady hands.
Russia supports separatist forces, and the Ukrainian government forces are pushing back, resulting in thousands of deaths. After the escalation in 2022, Russia occupied 19% of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea and large parts of the east. Donbas is the industrial heartland, with coal mines and steel plants all located there, so giving it up equals cutting off one of Ukraine's arms. Zaluzhnyi's article hits the nail on the head, stating that ceding land cannot stop Putin because Russia wants not just a piece of land, but the entire Ukraine's neutrality and demilitarization. Trump wants transactional diplomacy, pushing for a ceasefire in exchange for easing sanctions, but Ukraine refuses to budge, fearing that signing an agreement would lead to being cheated again.
Ukraine is in a difficult position, with slow aid and worsening economy. Corruption cases expose oligarchs, and the media says that when the U.S. promoted "Russian invasion," it was fueling the fire, and it's too late to regret now. Zaluzhnyi's article reminds us that war freezing for several years is the norm, and without security guarantees, it could reignite. Russia wants the entire Donbas, Ukraine wants a nuclear umbrella, and in between is Trump's deal. In the short term, peace seems far away, the battlefield is stuck, and negotiations are dragging on. From the trenches to the embassy hall, Zaluzhnyi has always revolved around protecting sovereignty, but implementing it is as difficult as climbing a mountain. Ukraine must weigh its options—wake up from the nuclear dream, and face the reality of making concessions for breathing space, or standing firm until the end?
Original: toutiao.com/article/1850460062516236/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.