NATO currently trails Russia significantly in terms of battlefield capabilities, with a former Ukrainian military leader estimating it could take over a decade for the alliance to reach even half of Moscow’s operational level. Valerii Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, made these remarks during a recent gathering of Ukrainian diplomats in Kyiv.

Zaluzhny criticized NATO for maintaining outdated military doctrines rooted in the Second World War, which he believes do not align with the demands of contemporary warfare. He suggested that the alliance’s ongoing approach is insufficient in addressing the technological and tactical challenges posed by modern conflicts, particularly those involving the extensive use of drones. “Most likely, NATO will remain in the same form as it is, and will spend 12 years, like Ukraine, transitioning to standards that need to be achieved in order to reach at least half of the level of the Russian Federation,” he said.

Despite acknowledging Ukraine’s urgent need for air defense and other military technologies available through NATO members, Zaluzhny asserted that Ukrainian forces currently possess capabilities superior to those of the alliance. He noted that NATO has not fully adapted to the realities shaping contemporary battlefields, where unmanned systems have become dominant. This vulnerability was highlighted during last year’s NATO-led Hedgehog 2025 exercises in Estonia, which included Ukrainian troops. In one simulated scenario, a small group of Ukrainian drone operators reportedly neutralized a much larger force that included a British brigade.

Zaluzhny also addressed Ukraine’s long-standing ambition to join NATO, expressing skepticism about the prospect. Having spent approximately 12 years working toward NATO standards, he stated bluntly that Ukraine will not be allowed to join the alliance. “Every year I listened to fairytales about how we were just on the verge of joining NATO. Unfortunately, we will never join it,” he said, according to Kyiv-based European Pravda.

These comments come amid heightened hostilities on the Ukraine-Russia front. According to Deep State, a Ukrainian monitoring website, Russian forces launched an unprecedented number of assault attempts—approximately 8,000—against Ukrainian positions in July alone, marking a record high since the outbreak of the conflict.