Ukraine will never join NATO, former top commander says

Ukraine's ex-army chief Valery Zaluzhny has said the country, fighting a Russian invasion since 2022, will "never" join NATO despite Kyiv's stated intention to become a member of the US-led military alliance.

Zaluzhny, an ultra-popular former top commander whom Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sacked in 2024, delivered the comments at a meeting of Kyiv's ambassadors on Monday, according to the European Pravda news outlet.

"I know NATO very well. For roughly 12 years I've personally worked on mastering NATO standards, and every year I've listened to the same fairytale that we're about to join," Zaluzhny was quoted as saying.

"Unfortunately, we never will," added Zaluzhny, currently the Ukrainian ambassador to Britain.

He said that "given the current level of development of the Ukrainian Armed Forces" it was impossible for Ukraine to join the alliance that, according to Zaluzhny, "adheres to doctrines dating from the Second World War".

Ukraine prides itself on its military industry progress, particularly in drone technology, which it has extensively developed since Russia invaded four and a half years ago.

In an opinion piece for British newspaper The Daily Telegraph published last month, Zaluzhny said the Ukraine war had "exposed uncomfortable questions about whether NATO is equipped for the conflicts of the 21st century".

"Ukraine has every reason to appreciate the support NATO members have provided, and continues to provide. But respect for the alliance should not prevent an honest assessment of its shortcomings," he wrote.

He added that "Ukraine's ability to sustain the war depends heavily upon continued backing from its allies".

Zaluzhny remains Ukraine's most trusted public figure, with 73 percent support, according to a June poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.