Ukraine's former commander-in-chief: Will never join NATO 

 

TT-AFP

 

Published 11.40

  

Valery Zaluzhny is Ukraine's ambassador to the UK. Picture from last winter. Photo: Frank Augstein/AP/TT

Ukraine's former commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny says the country will "never" join NATO, despite Kiev's repeated ambitions to become a member of the military alliance.

- I know NATO very well. For about twelve years I have personally worked on mastering NATO standards, and every year I have heard the same story that we will soon join.

- Unfortunately, we will never do it, he said at a meeting with ambassadors in Kiev, according to Yevropeyska Pravda.

Zaluzhny believes that NATO "follows doctrines that date back to World War II", and that membership is therefore unreasonable given how quickly the Ukrainian defense is developing.

Zaluzhny was fired from his role as military commander-in-chief in 2024. President Zelenskyy said at the time that Ukraine must be led by people who are “convinced of victory” against Russia.