Ukraine Is Done With the NATO Fairy Tale
Ukraine spent years chasing NATO membership. Now a former general thinks Kyiv can shape Western security without waiting to join.
In 2024, NATO members gathered to declare that Ukraine was on an irreversible path to NATO membership. However, the promise rings hollow today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cannot openly criticize this declaration, as his words are heavily scrutinized by allies, adversaries, and his own people. Valery Zaluzhnyi, a former commander in chief, is not under such pressure and reportedly told fellow diplomats in Kyiv that Ukraine will never join NATO.
This statement was met with jubilation in the Russian media, where it was portrayed as a belated epiphany and evidence of Ukraine's betrayal of its people. Zaluzhnyi, who successfully repelled Russia's 2022 assault on Kyiv and spearheaded Ukraine's rapid adoption of battlefield technology, is proposing a new approach to Western security.
He argues that Ukraine must recognize the situation and seize the initiative to determine its own future. While Ukraine's NATO bid may never materialize, Zaluzhnyi believes Ukraine should still aim to become a member and criticizes NATO's outdated thinking.
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