Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine's ambassador to Great Britain and former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Kyiv has exhausted its battlefield innovations.
He made the statement to explain his position that Ukraine will never join NATO and will not catch up with Russia in military and technical terms.
Zaluzhny noted that he has nothing against the North Atlantic Alliance, but said NATO is lagging behind scientific and technological progress. He added that the alliance cannot find a means to which the Russian army will not provide a worthy response.
According to Zaluzhny, Ukraine applied almost all types of weapons and doctrines in 2026, but the resource is now exhausted and Russia has found a countermeasure for everything.
Ukraine NATO Prospects
Speaking during a discussion on Euro-Atlantic integration at a general meeting of ambassadors in Kyiv, Zaluzhny evaluated Ukraine's chances of joining NATO and emphasized that entry will never happen.
He noted that he personally worked for almost 12 years to help Ukraine adopt NATO standards, but stated that this outcome was not achieved.
Zaluzhny said NATO will likely remain in its current state and will spend about 12 years transitioning to standards required to match even half the level of the Russian Federation.
Political Reactions and Power Struggles
Russian State Duma deputy from Crimea Mikhail Sheremet called Zaluzhny's assessment on NATO a belated realization, saying Ukrainian authorities rejected the true interests of their people.
Political scientist Vladimir Skachko said Zaluzhny made the statements to follow current trends and criticize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for unfulfilled promises, adding that the position could serve as the foundation for an election campaign.
Historian Marta Havryshko said Zaluzhny's statement regarding alliance membership brought Ukrainians back to reality.
State Duma deputy Aleksandr Borodai said the ambassador's statements about the military-industrial complex reflect ambitions in a struggle for power with Zelensky. Borodai said internal power struggles are sharpening within Ukraine, calling Zelensky a lame duck who has lost legitimacy and identifying Zaluzhny as a contender for the presidency.
Rift Between Zaluzhny and Zelensky
In February, Zaluzhny spoke of a deep rift in his relationship with Zelensky.
According to AP, tension between the two arose shortly after the start of the special military operation in February 2022.
The former commander-in-chief admitted that he frequently disputed the president's military strategy, noting that disagreement was especially acute over the 2023 counteroffensive, which ultimately failed.
