Zaluzhnyi: Ukraine will never join NATO
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- Valery Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's ambassador to Britain, told a meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors on Aug 3, 2026 that Ukraine will never join NATO, saying its forces still follow "World War II doctrines" and lack anti-missile and space capabilities.
- Ukraine's constitution enshrines NATO and EU membership as strategic goals, though Kyiv acknowledges not all current NATO members would welcome its accession.
- Dismissed as top commander in 2024 over disagreements with President Zelenskyy on war strategy, Zaluzhnyi now polls roughly on par with him and former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was sacked last month.
- Zaluzhnyi's successor as top commander was also dismissed last month; the war with Russia is now well into its fifth year.
- Russia has rejected out of hand any notion of Ukrainian NATO membership.
Why it matters: A former commander polling on par with Zelenskyy declaring NATO membership impossible directly contradicts Ukraine's constitutional aspiration and 12 years of Zaluzhnyi's own reform work. Russia has already rejected Ukrainian membership outright, leaving Kyiv's NATO goal blocked on both sides.
