Former Top Commander Says Ukraine Will ‘Never’ Join NATO

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KYIV: Former top military commander Valery Zaluzhny has stated that Ukraine will ‘never’ join NATO, delivering a stark reality check to Kyiv’s primary foreign policy ambition.

Addressing a gathering of Ukrainian ambassadors on Monday, the former army chief argued that full accession to the US-led military alliance remains unattainable despite the country's ongoing defense against Russian forces.

Zaluzhny, an ultra-popular general who was dismissed from his command post by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2024, made the controversial remarks during a strategic diplomatic session.

His blunt assessment directly undermines official messaging from Kyiv, which continues to lobby Western allies aggressively for an explicit path to full membership and formal security guarantees.

By openly dismissing NATO integration, Zaluzhny exposes growing pragmatic skepticism within Ukraine’s security establishment regarding realistic post-war defense options amidst shifting political dynamics across allied Western capitals.