Zaluzhny: Russia Has Found Counters to Nearly Every NATO Weapon, Alliance Must Reinvent Itself
Former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said NATO must fundamentally rethink how it fights wars, arguing that Russia has already found ways to counter nearly every major Western weapon used by Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK sought to clarify controversial remarks made earlier this week suggesting Ukraine would “never” join the alliance.
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Zaluzhnyi insisted he remains a strong supporter of NATO, recalling that he championed the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s transition to NATO standards as early as 2019 despite facing fierce criticism.
However, he said Russia’s full-scale invasion has exposed the alliance’s shortcomings.
“Scientific and technological progress is moving forward. In 2026, Ukraine used virtually every type of weapon – except Tomahawk missiles, nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers and F-35s that are in NATO service,” Zaluzhnyi said.
“The resource has been exhausted. Russia has found countermeasures to all of this.”
He argued that the war has transformed Ukraine’s military beyond the alliance’s current doctrine, forcing NATO to modernize.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine have reached a completely different level. NATO has no choice but to move to entirely new standards,” he said.
“Only then will NATO be ready for Ukraine’s accession.”
Zaluzhnyi also repeated his call for creating “an entirely new security bloc,” likely centered on Europe, to meet the demands of modern warfare.
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His comments follow a wave of criticism sparked by remarks on Aug. 3, when he said Ukraine would “never join” NATO because the alliance’s military standards are rooted in doctrines dating back to World War II.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry later said those remarks had been taken out of context and stressed that Kyiv’s goal of joining NATO remains unchanged.
Zaluzhnyi, who served as Ukraine’s commander-in-chief from 2021 to 2024, has increasingly been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. According to Ukrainska Pravda, he recently told President Volodymyr Zelensky he would run if elections are held this fall.