Former commander-in-chief Zaluzhnyi: Peace, even while anticipating next war, offers chance for political change and recovery
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces and current Ambassador to the UK, believes that even a long-term cessation of war without a complete Ukrainian victory provides an opportunity for full recovery and the return of citizens but warns that a rapid peace could lead to a loss of independence.
Source: Zaluzhnyi for Ukrainian news portal LIGA.net
Quote: "When forming the political goal of war, it is important to remember that war does not always end with the victory of one side and the defeat of the other. This was the case with World War II, but it is a rare exception, because it has almost never happened in human history. The vast majority of wars end with mutual defeat, or with everyone being sure that they have won, or other options.
So, when we talk about victory, we must honestly say this: victory is the collapse of the Russian Empire, and defeat is the complete occupation of Ukraine due to its collapse. Everything else is just a continuation of the war.
We, Ukrainians, of course, strive for a complete victory – the collapse of the Russian Empire. But we cannot reject the option of a long-term (for years) cessation of the war, because this is an all-too-common way of ending wars in history. Meanwhile, peace, even in expectation of the next war, provides a chance for political change, for deep reforms, for full recovery, economic growth and the return of citizens.
It is even possible to speak about the beginning of the formation of a safe, maximally protected state through innovation and technology. Formation and strengthening of the foundations of a just state through the fight against corruption and the creation of a fair court. Formation of the outlines of future peace on the basis of international economic programmes for the country's recovery."
Details: Zaluzhnyi said that as of the end of 2025, the war in Ukraine "is increasingly bearing the hallmarks of a global war".
"Ukraine is in an extremely difficult situation, where a quick peace will definitely only lead to a devastating defeat and loss of independence. However, as time has shown, it was not possible to achieve it," the ambassador noted.
In his view, a quickly predicted peace in Ukraine would raise tough questions in Russia about the number of human losses – "it will be as difficult to explain as it is to explain corruption in Ukraine today". Therefore, the political situation in Russia itself will not allow this without significant concessions or a complete defeat on the part of Ukraine.
Quote: "Today it is difficult to say whether the mediators who are trying to draw up scenarios for Ukraine understand this. But the fact that conditions do not get better for Ukraine every time is obvious."
Details: Zaluzhnyi believes today there are no prerequisites for ending the war.
Furthermore, "in conditions where the concept of international law and especially the system to support this law no longer exists, concluding such agreements without creating guarantees of long-term security is absolutely impossible".
Quote: "Such security guarantees could include Ukraine's accession to NATO, the deployment of nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, or the deployment of a large military contingent capable of confronting Russia. However, there is no talk about this today. And taking into account the technological and doctrinal unpreparedness of any NATO member country, or any other country except Russia, Ukraine and China, this issue cannot be considered in principle. And therefore, the war will probably continue. However, we should not forget that not only in the military, but also in the political and economic spheres."
Details: Meanwhile, Zaluzhnyi believes that "perhaps the main" political goal for Ukraine is to deprive Russia of the ability to carry out acts of aggression against Ukraine in the foreseeable future.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!