Zaluzhny: No Miracle Will Restore 1991 Borders – Ukraine Must Fight Smart or Not at All
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (AFU), Valery Zaluzhny, has cautioned against hoping for a return to Ukraine’s 1991 borders, warning that Russia still possesses the resources to continue the war.
Speaking at the “Export of Security: Ukrainian Weapons in the World” forum, Zaluzhny said, as quoted by Ukrainian media:
“I hope that there are no people in this hall who still hope for some miracle or wonder, for some white swan that will bring peace to Ukraine, the borders of 1991 or 2022, and after that, there will be great happiness.”
He emphasized that Russia’s capacity to wage the war in Ukraine primarily depends on its available resources. Since late 2023, he said, the Kremlin has shifted to a war of attrition.
According to Zaluzhny, victory is only possible through the complete dismantling of Russia’s ability to fight.
“I mean the destruction of its military-economic potential. In our modern conditions – and this is a huge shortage of human resources and the catastrophic economic situation in which we find ourselves.”
He stressed the need for a high-tech war of survival – one that maximizes impact while minimizing manpower and economic costs.
“Ukraine is not capable of another war in terms of demography and economy and should not even think about it,” he added.
Earlier comments by Zaluzhny
Zaluzhny has been outspoken about his views on global affairs and the changing nature of warfare.
In late April, he spoke candidly about how Russia’s full-scale invasion has reshaped both modern warfare and the global order.
At the Ukraine-UK Defense Technology Forum in London on April 25, Zaluzhny said the war had fundamentally altered combat as we know it – particularly due to drones.
“The war in Ukraine has become the driving force behind many forces that have led to a change in the world order. This change has already taken place. And it does not depend on whether modern politicians want to see it or not.”
He recalled a turning point in the summer of 2023:
“One morning… when Ukrainian troops were overcoming enemy defense lines meter by meter, drones appeared in the sky on a scale that led to the transformation of the entire architecture of the battle.”
Zaluzhny said the widespread use of reconnaissance and strike UAVs has made the battlefield “absolutely transparent.”
“Thanks to unmanned systems and digital technologies, the traditional and familiar types of weapons that have determined the nature of war for decades have become history. They are no longer there.”
Drones and electronic warfare have rendered GPS-guided weapons unreliable, and tanks increasingly useless:
“Armored vehicles… have become defenseless against cheap drones, and therefore their use in other types of combat is impossible today.”
“The emergence of a large number of small and cheap drones has made it economically impractical to use extremely expensive missiles for air defense systems.”
Drawing a comparison to World War I, Zaluzhny warned that the war has reached a virtual standstill – strategically and physically – because traditional tactics are no longer viable and large-scale assaults are “nearly suicidal.”
In a separate address at Chatham House on March 6, Zaluzhny criticized US policy, saying it risks destabilizing the global balance:
“The US is destroying the world order.”
He warned that ongoing US-Russia negotiations might empower the Kremlin and weaken European security. Still, he praised Ukraine’s position in the global arena:
“Ukraine is not only defending NATO’s eastern flank but also securing Europe’s future security.”
“In the next five to ten years, Europe’s security architecture would be impossible without Ukraine.”
Source: Kyiv Post