Three Key Theses of General Zaluzhny

Source: Author’s Facebook page

Behind the anti-corruption rallies, an interview with General Valeriy Zaluzhny for the publication “Left Bank” went largely unnoticed. At first glance, the interview seemed very measured and contained no sharp statements. But that’s only at first glance.

From a specialist’s perspective, Zaluzhny articulated several critically important theses that unmistakably reveal the incompetence of the current government.

Thesis one. Western countries require rearmament to meet the realities of modern warfare. We need this as well, since some of the weapons they produce will ultimately be supplied to us. However, accelerating this process is very difficult because democracy and decision-making there depend on the complex relationship between governments and parliaments.

Zaluzhny proposes a solution — to engage with specialized industries (namely arms manufacturing and machine-building) so that they recognize their interests and exert pressure on governments through their lobbying efforts in parliaments.

What Zaluzhny did not mention, however, is whether this is being implemented. Are Ukraine’s ambassadors — many of whom were formerly public activists and social figures — undertaking this work? And what about the Verkhovna Rada? For reference, Petro Poroshenko, a seasoned negotiator with business experience, is a member of the Verkhovna Rada. Yet, he is regularly barred from traveling abroad, effectively preventing him from engaging with foreign businesses.

The second thesis. The war that began on February 24, 2022, effectively ended in December 2023 and has entered a new phase — a war of attrition. The days of marching in columns are over; a war of aerial drones and ground robots has begun. It is now a war to destroy the enemy through technical means. There will be no return to the previous style of warfare with tank columns. This must be understood.

Here lies a serious problem. Zaluzhny estimates 3 to 5 years to establish parity — that is, the period during which the competition in technology development will conclude as manufacturers exhaust the available potential of existing technological innovations.

What happens next? Zaluzhny does not explicitly say, but it is clear. The next stage will be a competition for resources — whoever has more will prevail. At first glance, Russia cannot compete with the entire West in terms of resources. But this holds only if Moscow fails to divide the West. Here, Zaluzhny hinted that, should Russia attack any European country, NATO risks collapsing much like the League of Nations once did.

It is worth recalling that Russian television frequently discusses the possibility of invasions into Finland, Poland, or the Baltic States. The only thing currently restraining Moscow is our resistance.

And here is the third thesis, voiced by Zaluzhny. I will even quote: “If we try to implement only a ceasefire, without forming our future defense, then the war will go on for a long time. And having started in 2014, God forbid it ends in 2034.”

So, how do we shape our future defense? Another quote: “You shouldn’t think about what you need today. You should think about what you will need in a year, two, or three.”

Have we thought about what we’ll need in a year or two? Yes, damn it. Because it was under Zaluzhny that mass training of UAV pilots was launched, and first companies—and then battalions—of strike UAVs were created within the units. I even observed this process—among other things, as part of it, I was pulled out of a combat brigade and assigned to train pilots—because I had taught before, in Army SOS.

And now? Information has just come in that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are reducing the number of companies of robotic ground systems, which were meant to compensate for the shortage of infantry.

Is everything clear?

General Zaluzhny has an extraordinary quality. With military directness, he constantly gives a realistic assessment of the situation and shows what needs to be done. And this is constantly ignored.

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