Valeriy Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has issued a stark warning to Western governments: adapt or risk irrelevance. Speaking in an interview with LB Life, Zaluzhny argued that NATO’s strategic mindset remains anchored in the past, leaving it ill-prepared for the realities of modern warfare.
“The war that began on 24 February 2022—one defined by tanks and massed troops—ended by December 2023,” Zaluzhny said. “Since then, we have entered a fundamentally different phase: a war of attrition fought with drones, algorithms, and high-precision systems.” His assessment underscores a critical disconnect between Ukraine’s battlefield evolution and NATO’s doctrinal inertia.
Zaluzhny’s appointment as ambassador comes at a pivotal moment for UK-Ukraine relations. While Britain has been a key military partner, supplying air defence systems and intelligence, Zaluzhny believes deeper integration is essential. “Britain has money, yes—but more importantly, it has advanced technological capacity,” he said. “It must be drawn into our technological process now. That way, in one year, we know we have partners who can produce exactly the systems we will need—not what we needed last year.”
The urgency stems from the rapid innovation cycles of modern defence technology. “In drone warfare, a system that’s current today may be obsolete in two weeks,” Zaluzhny explained. “You can’t stockpile that technology—it has to be developed, tested, and adapted in real time. And Ukraine is the only place in Europe where these systems are tested under full combat conditions.”
He criticised NATO’s approach to rearmament, arguing that new equipment must be accompanied by doctrinal, tactical, and organisational reforms. “New weapons come with new tactics, new forms of deployment, new organisational structures,” he said. “And this requires a new doctrine, new training systems, and new financing. That transformation will take NATO countries five years—if they start now.”
Zaluzhny was particularly critical of what he termed “strategic infantilism” in Western capitals—a reluctance to confront the inevitability of conflict. “Many of them understand that war is likely, but still cling to the hope that it won’t happen,” he said. “This contradiction leads to half-measures and delays. And we cannot afford delay.”
His concerns extend to NATO’s structural limitations. While reaffirming Ukraine’s goal of eventual membership, Zaluzhny questioned whether the alliance could respond effectively to a large-scale crisis. “NATO remains the strongest military bloc in the world,” he said. “But in its current form, it may go the way of the United Nations—paralysed by its own structure and outdated assumptions.”
He cited the recent UK-France bilateral defence pact as evidence of growing doubt within the alliance. “If two NATO members feel the need to sign a separate agreement guaranteeing mutual defence, one must ask: do they no longer trust Article 5?”
Turning to the so-called Coalition of the Willing, proposed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zaluzhny described the initiative as “promising, but complicated.” The coalition aims to finance weapons production for Ukraine using pooled resources from participating countries. “The idea is sound, and it shows political courage,” he said. “But we must recognise that democracies move slowly. Leaders must gain parliamentary support, build coalitions, and negotiate across party lines. That takes time we do not have.”
Zaluzhny acknowledged the geopolitical realities limiting British defence spending. “The UK is not the United States. It has fewer financial resources and significant domestic challenges. But it is making an effort, and that must be recognised.” He emphasised the need for deeper integration, urging Western partners to engage not just as donors but as active participants in shaping future defence technologies.
On the question of a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, Zaluzhny was sceptical. “Are we speaking of a force capable of intercepting 500 drones over Kyiv? Or of troops in ceremonial uniforms? Without the technical capability to enforce peace, such deployments are symbolic at best.”
He was candid about Ukraine’s current military position. “We are still in a strategic deadlock,” he said, referring to a 2023 assessment that likened the situation to the First World War’s trench warfare. “The greatest risk is a long, exhausting war that drains the state. Our adversary found a way forward. They extended the frontline, increased pressure with drones, and disrupted our logistics. While we looked for more drones, they redefined the battlefield.”
Zaluzhny stressed the limitations of a manpower-focused approach. “
