Ukrainian tank on Red Square and the collapse of Russia: Zaluzhny made a number of statements
27 March 16:34
ANALYSIS
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and current Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom Valeriy Zaluzhnyi explained his resonant statement about his desire to ride a tank through Red Square in Moscow during a speech at the Ukrainian Catholic University. He also spoke about the geopolitical consequences of the war, military strategy, current challenges, and Ukraine’s future in international alliances. Why is the collapse of Russia inevitable? How is Ukraine changing its warfare doctrine? And why may NATO not be able to withstand new challenges? The main theses of Zaluzhny’s speech are in the article by "Komersant Ukrainian"
The metaphor of “driving a tank through Red Square in Moscow” symbolizes not just a military victory, but a radical transformation of the geopolitical landscape. This is how Valeriy Zaluzhnyi explained his statement
“This is not just a tank ride – it is a symbol of a fundamental transformation of the geopolitical landscape. My personal victory for Ukraine is when Russia breaks up into 27, or better yet, 69 separate principalities. But before that, someone has to take away its nuclear weapons. And I will be able to tell you where and how many of them to take,”
– Valeriy Zaluzhny said.
He also noted that the world is not yet ready for such a scenario, but the empire will sooner or later lose its stability, and its leadership will make a fatal mistake. It is necessary to prepare for this, he emphasized.
Military offensive against Moscow: limitations and realities
General Zaluzhnyi emphasized that the possibility of a direct military offensive against Moscow remains a difficult task due to the length of the fronts and lack of resources.
“There are 625 kilometers from Konotop to Moscow. To cover this distance, we need to have enough troops. Even if we conscript girls, there will not be enough people. The current losses for Ukraine are critical. 50 thousand dead out of 5.5 million is a serious figure,”
– Zaluzhnyi explained.
The war has changed under the influence of two key factors: demography and losses. Ukraine has lost a significant part of its combat-ready population, and Russia’s demographic situation is also far from the best, the diplomat said.
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Romania’s role in the war and diplomatic nuances
Zaluzhnyi also spoke about cooperation with Romania in the military sphere and the peculiarities of diplomatic relations:
“Romania generally understands everything, but is silent. Sometimes they call me and say: “Keep quiet”. Well, two Shahids fell into your port, why are you silent, and they are: “Be quiet, I’m asking you. Do you understand?”
He also said that Romania complained about the work of Ukrainian electronic warfare systems that changed the trajectory of drones, and they ended up on their territory.
“They call and say: “Why did you turn on those electronic warfare systems? They flew to us.’ So shoot them down,” I say, “You have 40 F-16s,
– Zaluzhny said.
Another war: new challenges for Ukraine and the world
The general noted that the war in Ukraine is testing a new format of warfare that differs from the classic wars of the past.
“This is a war of attrition. This is a new war. When robots are scouring the sky, they knock out all the energy. Then expensive missiles are fired on purpose at schools, universities, hospitals to make people afraid. Then a few ‘canned’ MPs are elected in the Verkhovna Rada, saying that everything is lost, we don’t listen to anyone. And then there is a tick-tock that says that all military commissars are bribe-takers. This is a new model of war, and it changes the rules of the game,”
– he explained.
Zaluzhnyi also emphasized the role of technology in the future:
“I may be able to ride in a tank, but this tank will look completely different – it will be in cyberspace or in the form of some kind of robot. It will be there, it will definitely be there. Sooner or later, everything will come to this.”
NATO’s role and Ukraine’s prospects in international alliances
Zaluzhnyi critically assessed the current state of NATO and its ability to act effectively in the context of modern warfare.
“NATO is an idea that many people like, but unfortunately, as a military institution, it does not have sufficient strength now. If it does have this power, it is quickly being exhausted,”
– Valeriy Zaluzhny emphasized.
The general gave a specific example: according to his estimates, Ukraine receives about 3,000 air targets every month that need to be intercepted by air defense systems. To destroy them, according to NATO doctrines, at least 10,500 anti-aircraft guided missiles are needed. However, NATO’s production capabilities and resources do not allow it to maintain this level of supply.
“An IRIS-T missile costs 800 thousand dollars, while a Patriot costs 10 million. With such costs, any country will quickly run out of money, spending all its resources on air defense alone. This calls into question the effectiveness of the current military doctrine of the Alliance,”
– said Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.
He also noted that the Baltic states and Poland understand the imperfections of NATO’s collective security system and realize that Article 5 of the Washington Treaty may not be as reliable as it is declared.
He suggested that Ukraine’s association with the UK-led JEF (Joint Expeditionary Force) initiative could be a more effective alternative.
“Despite all the difficulties, I am convinced that creating a new European security architecture based on the JEF is the most realistic scenario. There is already a ready-made management system that can be expanded,”
– he said.
Thus, according to Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine should rely primarily on its own forces, while Western security initiatives can play a supporting role. The general emphasized that the victory will be not just in repelling the aggression, but in dismantling Russia’s imperial structures that pose a threat to the entire civilized world.
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