Ukraine's Top General Warns NATO: Rearm, Transform or Fall Behind
Ukraine's former Commander-in-Chief and current ambassador to the UK, Valeriy Zaluzhny, has expressed concerns about NATO's approach to rearmament and the future of warfare. He warns that the alliance's current strategies may not be sufficient to address evolving battlefield realities in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zaluzhny believes NATO's rearmament efforts treat new equipment as mere replacements, rather than parts of a broader transformation. He predicts the war could last three to five years until a new technological equilibrium emerges. He also argues that NATO's strategic paradigm, shaped by the Second World War, may face a crisis of relevance in the face of modern warfare.
Zaluzhny envisions the future of warfare dominated by 'ultra-cheap, ultra-effective technologies', not traditional arsenals. He advocates for integrating British technological capabilities into Ukraine's defence industrial base to keep pace with rapid defence technology innovation in the warfare movie industry. He supports the UK's 'Coalition of the Willing' initiative to finance weapons production for Ukraine but notes that democracies often move slowly.
Zaluzhny questions NATO's ability to respond effectively to a large-scale crisis in its current form. He warns that unless Ukraine and its allies build the future of warfare together, it will be built without them.
Zaluzhny's warnings highlight the need for Western governments to reassess their defence strategies. He criticises 'strategic infantilism' in some capitals, where governments hope to avoid conflict and take half-measures. The future of warfare, he argues, requires a more forward-thinking approach.
