Russia Has an Answer to Almost All NATO Weapons
Former Ukrainian army commander warns the Alliance must undergo thorough reform as the war has exposed weaknesses in existing military doctrines.
Former Ukrainian army commander warns the Alliance must undergo thorough reform as the war has exposed weaknesses in existing military doctrines.
Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, former commander of the Ukrainian army and current Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, has issued a serious warning to the North Atlantic Alliance. According to him, Russia has developed countermeasures for nearly all key Western weapons systems during the war in Ukraine, forcing NATO to undergo fundamental change.
On Wednesday, in Kyiv, Zaluzhnyi was explaining his earlier comments about Ukraine's prospects of joining NATO, which sparked fierce reactions in early August. At the time, he stated that Ukraine would "never" become a member of the Alliance because its military standards are based on doctrines dating back to World War II.
Despite the controversy, Zaluzhnyi emphasized that he still strongly supports Ukraine's entry into NATO and reminded that as early as 2019, he advocated for adapting Ukrainian armed forces to Alliance standards, despite the criticism he endured for it. Nevertheless, he believes that the Russian invasion has exposed weaknesses in the existing military concept.
"Scientific and technological progress moves forward. In 2026, Ukraine used practically all types of weapons, except Tomahawk missiles, nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers, and F-35 fighter jets that are in NATO service," Zaluzhnyi said, as reported by Kyiv Post. "Resources are exhausted. Russia has found countermeasures for all of this," he added.
According to him, the experience gained on the Ukrainian battlefield has surpassed existing NATO military doctrines, which is why the Alliance must adapt its thinking about future conflicts. "The Armed Forces of Ukraine have reached a completely new level. NATO has no choice but to transition to entirely new standards," Zaluzhnyi stated.
"Only then will NATO be ready for Ukraine's accession," he added. The former Ukrainian military commander also reiterated the idea of creating a "completely new security bloc," likely focused on Europe, which would better address the challenges of modern warfare.
Zaluzhnyi's statements come at a time when NATO has also announced steps toward modernization. In a tweet posted on August 6, 2026, the Alliance stated: "NATO is taking its strategic airlift capabilities to the next level." On that occasion, Allies announced new initiatives to enhance military airlift, aerial refueling, and medical evacuation capabilities.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to Zaluzhnyi's earlier statements, saying that his words were taken out of context and reiterated that Kyiv's strategic goal remains NATO membership. Zaluzhnyi, who led the Ukrainian army as Commander-in-Chief from 2021 to 2024, has recently been increasingly mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. According to Ukrainian media reports, the former general told President Volodymyr Zelensky that he would run in the elections if they were held this autumn.
