One of Ukraine's most influential figures states: 'Unfortunately, we will never become a NATO member.'

Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, has stated that he does not believe Ukraine will become a NATO member in the foreseeable future. This comes despite NATO membership being a stated goal within Ukraine's constitution.

Zaluzhnyi, speaking at a meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors in Kyiv, explained that his assessment is based on twelve years of personal experience working to adopt NATO standards. "Unfortunately, we will never join NATO," he declared, attributing the primary obstacle to the fundamental differences between the operational methods of the Ukrainian military and the alliance itself. He suggested that NATO's structure still relies on doctrines from World War II, making it difficult for Ukraine's battle-hardened forces, forged in defense against the Russian invasion, to integrate.

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I know NATO very well. For twelve years, I personally worked to adopt NATO standards and every year I heard stories about how we would soon become a member. Unfortunately, we will never join NATO.

Despite acknowledging the military power of NATO members like the United States and the UK, Zaluzhnyi criticized the alliance's adaptability to new security challenges. He predicted NATO would remain organized in its current manner for years, while Ukraine would continue to adapt its own standards, having developed capabilities that surpass existing warfare models. However, he stressed Ukraine's continued need for NATO member technologies, particularly in anti-ballistic defense, space capabilities, and advanced military systems.

Looking ahead, Zaluzhnyi sees greater potential in the creation of new European defense blocs rather than full NATO membership for Ukraine's future security guarantees. He specifically highlighted the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a military coalition of ten European nations led by the UK, as a model for future European security architecture. He expressed regret that Ukraine had not pursued closer engagement with such initiatives earlier. It is important to note that the JEF currently lacks a collective defense mechanism similar to NATO's Article 5.

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Unfortunately, we will never join NATO.