"Even Russia may need security guarantees”: Zaluzhnyi outlines what they could be

In the future, advances in technology and weaponry may create a situation in which not only Ukraine, but Russia as well, will need security guarantees.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi — the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and now Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom — wrote this in an exclusive column for LIGA.net.

Zaluzhnyi notes that the Russian-Ukrainian war cannot be concluded today partly because of the security guarantee problem. Since there is effectively no functioning concept of international law or a system to enforce it, peace agreements cannot be reached without establishing long-term security guarantees.

“Such security guarantees could have been Ukraine’s entry into NATO, the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory, or the stationing of a large military contingent capable of deterring Russia. But none of this is on the table today. And with the technological and doctrinal unpreparedness of any NATO country — or any other state except Russia, Ukraine, and China — this issue simply cannot be considered. As a result, the war is likely to continue — not only on the battlefield, but also in political and economic domains,” the former commander-in-chief said.

Another crucial point, he noted, is that warfare is gradually becoming cheaper thanks to technological advances — while total strike capabilities continue to grow.

“This may ultimately create a situation in which Russia itself will need similar security guarantees — strange as that may sound,” he said.

He added that this role could be played by the capital of both sides.

“Capital that would, in turn, prevent collapse in the post-war years in both Ukraine and Russia. Because such economic losses will inevitably lead to political consequences. We have already seen this in the early 20th century,” he explained.

Фото