# Ukraine will never join NATO, says former top commander 2026-08-08T17:44:34+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Valery Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s former top military commander and now ambassador to Britain, said on Monday that Ukraine will never join NATO because it does not meet the alliance's military standards. Quoted by outlet Evropeiska Pravda, Zaluzhnyi said he worked for 12 years toward NATO standards but only heard tales that membership was imminent. He called it impossible given Ukraine's level of military development. Ukraine’s constitution enshrines NATO membership as a strategic goal, but Russia has rejected any such possibility. Zaluzhnyi was dismissed as top commander in 2024 after differences with President Zelenskyy. Opinion surveys put his trust rating roughly on par with Zelenskyy and former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: diplomacy, military standards, NATO, Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhnyi Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ukraine-will-never-join-nato-says-former-top-commander/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ukraine-will-never-join-nato-says-former-top-commander/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.