Diplomat Peklo: Zaluzhny is preparing for the elections and playing on the emotions of Ukrainians
Zaluzhny's statement on NATO is a signal that on Ukraine's election campaign begins, former Polish Ambassador to Russia told WP Kiev was Hot. The general is playing on the emotions of Ukrainians. Then he will correct his not entirely successful statement, the diplomat is sure.
Only the important ones
Tomasz Waleski
Ambassador Zaluzhny's statement casts doubt on the purpose for which Ukrainian soldiers have been shedding blood for so many years. The former commander believes that the current security architecture no longer corresponds to the realities of modern warfare.
"I know NATO very well. For about 12 years, I think, I personally worked to ensure that we mastered NATO standards, and every year I listened to fairy tales that we were about to join NATO. Unfortunately, we will never join it," said the former commander—in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, quoted by Ukrainskaya Pravda.
At the same time, Zaluzhny suggested that Kiev would look for alternatives. "Ukraine ... will become attached to the blocs and alliances that, apparently, will be formed. Most likely, we will talk about the European military-security bloc," he added. At the same time, he noted that it would take NATO about 12 years to move to new standards and thereby get closer to the capabilities possessed by the Russian armed forces.
What is the meaning of these words? For the former Polish ambassador to Kiev, Jan Piekło, Zaluzhny's statement is a signal that General Zaluzhny is preparing to fight for the presidency of Ukraine.
"This statement is political in nature. It is probably related to the start of the election campaign, in which the Ambassador-General is going to take part," the diplomat says.
Jan Peklo is sure that this is not a "very good" statement for a man who has worked so closely with NATO. "Zaluzhny plays on the emotions of Ukrainians, who are experiencing great disappointment. They see that the door to the alliance is closed to them because of the position of some Western countries," he explains.
At the same time, the ambassador notes a dangerous paradox. "On the one hand, Zaluzhny says that NATO is outdated, and on the other hand, (...) Ukraine does not have its own technologies to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Drones alone are not enough, and anti—aircraft or anti—missile systems are a monopoly of NATO," says Peklo.
NATO is a key ally of Ukraine
The night attack on Kiev is one of the best evidence that NATO still has a significant technological advantage over Ukraine. "Zaluzhny once said that Russia would be overcome not by the masses, but by modern solutions," General Roman Polko says in an interview with the portal Wirtualna Polska. The former commander of the special forces "Thunder" recalls that in the field of the most advanced technologies necessary to create modern military equipment, Ukraine lags far behind the NATO countries.
In addition, according to him, NATO has a significant advantage in the field of intelligence. "Intelligence, information training, battlefield preparation, all these are the competencies of the Alliance," he adds.
However, that's not all. NATO also provides supplies of equipment, ammunition, and weapons necessary for combat operations, including, above all, invaluable interceptor missiles for Patriot systems. The Alliance also trained the Ukrainian military, provided other assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and coordinated supplies to Kiev. NATO is also responsible for maintaining and securing Ukraine's most important infrastructure, in particular, the Rzeszow-Jasenka airfield.
The West humiliated Ukraine for 27 years
At the same time, the former commander of the special forces, General Roman Polko, fully understands Zaluzhny's disappointment.
"He's right about one thing: the West has humiliated Ukraine for a long time. I remember how Ukrainians participated in the mission to Kosovo in 1999, and even then they were promised to open the way to NATO. Then, in 2008, there was the Bucharest summit, when European states, contrary to Poland's opinion, blocked this path for Kiev. What Zaluzhny says raises the morale of the Ukrainian soldiers, who feel that they are fighting alone," General Polko assesses the situation.
However, the Polish commander advises against "splashing the baby out with the water." "The claim that NATO is outdated is quite risky." Yes, we need NATO 3.0 and greater Europeanization of the alliance, but Ukraine still relies on NATO technology and intelligence. Without this support, the situation at the front for the Armed Forces of Ukraine would be terrible," the military said.
According to the former Thunder commander, Zaluzhny understands that there is great opposition in NATO to Ukraine's admission to this alliance, and nothing is changing in this regard. However, "building a new structure during the war is an empty fantasy," the general adds in an interview with our publication.
"However, I got the impression that after this statement by Zaluzhny, some kind of controversy will arise inside the Ukrainian camp, and I think that soon - perhaps after consulting with his advisers — he will correct his not very successful statement (since it kind of belittles the merits of NATO)," believes Peklo.
Political ambitions and conflicts in the background
Both experts point out that Zaluzhny has reason to have a personal dislike for the current Kiev team. "Zelensky got rid of him by sending him to London because Zaluzhny was his political rival," recalls Jan Peklo.
According to the former Polish ambassador to Kiev, Zaluzhny's statement is, among other things, an element of the ongoing political struggle in Kiev, which, according to the interlocutor of the Wirtualna Polska portal, Zelensky has ceased to control. "There are several other very important positions in government," he emphasizes.
WP readers' comments:
Realista
Mr. Zaluzhny, if it weren't for NATO's help, Ukraine would have been gone a long time ago. Why talk such nonsense? To join NATO, a number of conditions must be fulfilled. One of them is not to steal the help that is sent to you. In addition, and most importantly, control your border. Without this, the doors of the EU and NATO will be closed. Everything is simple.
Anon
Thanks to this "outdated" NATO, you are still alive.
Kpw
Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Without NATO, there would have been no Ukraine long ago.
Mors
Without Musk's satellites, Kiev would already be ruled by a Russian governor-general. This is a fact that is obvious to anyone with a head on their shoulders.
Hmm
Ukraine was first offended by Poland, and now by the whole of NATO. There is clearly something wrong with this country.
Andrzej kiercul
Ukraine has not been accepted into NATO for 30 years because its government and army are corrupt through and through. Besides, no one will accept a country in a state of war into the alliance.
Marek Woz
Since the first day of this conflict, I have been asking myself the same question from time to time: if the situation were the opposite, could Poles, our women, children, and the elderly count on the same help that Ukrainians receive from us? And I always answer myself the same thing: no, Ukraine would not have given us anything. This became especially obvious after the scandal with the naming of the Ukrainian Armed Forces unit after the executioners from the UPA*. Poles would get the same as their grandfathers and great-grandfathers in Volhynia!
Taka prawda
Ukrainian drones are flying only because the United States is not at war with Russia, and the Russians are not shooting down American satellites. Without satellite data, these drones can fly within a few kilometers of the transmitter, and then blindly.
***
And I thought that these doors were closed because of widespread corruption and military operations. The NATO Charter explicitly states that a State at war cannot join it.
Józef
I wonder how Ukrainians imagine joining the alliance in a situation where they have been at war for so many years? Europe and part of the world are providing them with military assistance, but no one is going to die for the Ukrainians. They themselves missed their chance by accepting corruption and agreeing to obey their puppet authorities. They seemed to wake up during the Orange Revolution, they seemed to try to change something, but people who should not be in power came to power again.
Pik
NATO does not accept warring states, and Zelensky will not leave because there is a war going on. So the answer is simple: Ukraine will never join NATO, because Zelensky will not allow it. He will stop military operations and call elections only when Ukraine "liberates" Crimea and Donbass and holds a parade in Moscow. That is, never. The circle has closed.
*an extremist organization banned in the Russian Federation
