Zaluzhnyi: Ukraine Will Never Be in NATO

The former Commander-in-Chief of the AFU and Ukraine's Ambassador to Great Britain, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, expressed skepticism regarding Ukraine's prospects of joining NATO and named joining other emerging defense alliances as an alternative for Kyiv. He made these statements during a general meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors, which took place in Kyiv on Monday, writes "Ukrainska Pravda".

During the discussion of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration, Zaluzhnyi was asked to comment on Kyiv's partnership with the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) — a coalition created by ten Northern European states for security in the region. In response, Zaluzhnyi also touched upon the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.

“I know NATO very well. For about twelve years, I personally worked on us adopting NATO standards. And every year I heard tales that we would join NATO any minute now. Unfortunately, we will never join it!” — stated the former Commander-in-Chief of the AFU.

According to Zaluzhnyi, the obstacle to Ukraine joining the alliance is that "it's impossible to join with the current level of development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine… an organization that is guided by World War II doctrines."

At the same time, the former Commander-in-Chief does not believe that NATO will change its approach to its internal organization in the near future.

“Most likely, NATO will remain as it is. And another twelve years will pass before Ukraine transitions to the standards that need to be achieved to at least get halfway to the level of the Russian Federation,” said Zaluzhnyi.

Despite this assessment, the former military officer and diplomat acknowledged that "Ukraine needs technologies that are still available in NATO countries today," including in the field of missile defense. The former Commander-in-Chief sees the country's participation in new and emerging defense alliances — such as JEF — as an alternative for guaranteeing Ukraine's security.

“Ukraine… will join blocks and alliances that will likely emerge. Most likely, it will be about a European military-security bloc,” Zaluzhnyi stated.

The Joint Expeditionary Force was established in 2015. This UK-led coalition includes Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway. The coalition's goal is to ensure security in Northern Europe, including the Baltic region and the Arctic.

In December 2025, Ukraine received the status of an enhanced JEF partner. The coalition cooperates with NATO on issues of deterring Russia at sea and has also stated its readiness to apply stringent measures against Russia's so-called "shadow fleet."

Zaluzhnyi expressed regret that, according to him, Ukraine is not working towards full membership in the JEF. At the same time, the former Commander-in-Chief noted that the governing bodies of this coalition are "still quite weak" and "not yet at a level where one could say they suit us."

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