After criticism, former Ukrainian army chief says he remains pro-NATO
Photo: Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK (Getty Images)
Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has explained his controversial remarks about NATO, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
Zaluzhnyi said that in 2019 he was one of the strongest advocates of transitioning Ukraine's Armed Forces to NATO standards, a position that drew significant criticism.
"I made so many enemies because of it that you can't even imagine. I am pro-NATO," he said.
At the same time, the former commander-in-chief believes there are many questions surrounding NATO when viewed "from a political perspective." He noted that since the start of the war, Ukraine has used nearly every type of weapon available, while Russia "has found a countermeasure to everything."
"NATO remains rooted in the doctrine of the end of World War II, while we are technologically ahead. Scientific and technological progress, combined with the ongoing war, has brought Ukraine's Armed Forces to an entirely different level," the ambassador said.
He argued that the Alliance now needs to adopt new standards and develop a new doctrine. In that case, "NATO will be ready for Ukraine's accession."
"I have already said that we need a completely new security bloc, most likely one territorially linked to Europe. An entirely new one," Zaluzhnyi added.
He explained that the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is "a very promising organization."
What Zaluzhnyi said
Earlier, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that Ukraine would never become a member of NATO.
The former commander-in-chief also sharply criticized the Alliance, arguing that NATO would need "12 years" to "at least reach Russia's level."
Commenting on the remarks, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said Zaluzhnyi's words had been "taken out of context."
