Zaluzhny urges the West to develop a new military doctrine based on Ukraine’s war experience
Valerii Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, called on Western countries to develop a new military doctrine informed by Russia’s war against Ukraine. He said acquiring new weapons and adapting tactics to drones are insufficient without an integrated approach covering weapons, tactics, force structure, training, and financing.
Key points
- Valerii Zaluzhny urged the West to create a new military doctrine based on the experience of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a similar call for a doctrine informed by Ukraine’s wartime experience.
- Zaluzhny said buying new weapons and adapting tactics to drones are not sufficient to protect the West on their own.
- He urged Western countries to abandon a doctrine based on Second World War experience and supplemented by costly high-precision weapons.
- Zaluzhny defined military doctrine as a system integrating weapons, tactics, force structure, training, and defence financing.
- Zaluzhny spoke at the United Kingdom’s Defence Academy Joint Command and Staff College.
- Zaluzhny met junior officers from different countries, including Ukrainian Lt. Col. Serhii Roshchyn, a Hero of Ukraine and squadron commander.
Why it matters
Zaluzhny argues that modern security challenges require more than new weapons or tactical adjustments for drones. A doctrine connecting weapons, tactics, force structure, training, and financing could help Western countries adapt to technological change and plan joint operations more effectively.
What happened
During a speech at the Joint Command and Staff College of the United Kingdom’s Defence Academy, Valerii Zaluzhny called for a new Western military doctrine based on the experience of Russia’s war against Ukraine. He said purchasing advanced weapons and integrating drones into tactics are insufficient without a systemic approach, and questioned whether a doctrine rooted in the Second World War and extended with costly high-precision weapons remains adequate. Zaluzhny also met junior officers from several countries who are preparing for senior command roles.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reports frame Zaluzhny’s appeal through the experience of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the growing role of drones. They also present it as the position of a former commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces addressing British military personnel.
Background
Valerii Zaluzhny is Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Before his speech at the UK Defence Academy’s Joint Command and Staff College, he met junior officers from different countries preparing for higher command positions. His conversation included Lt. Col. Serhii Roshchyn, a Hero of Ukraine and squadron commander who has helped protect Ukrainian airspace since 2022.