Ukraine’s previous top general says NATO’s ‘Article 5’ does not effectively exists

(MENAFN) Ukraine's former top general, Valery Zaluzhny, has asserted that NATO’s Article 5, which guarantees collective defense for its members, does not effectively exist. Speaking as Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Zaluzhny stated during a meeting with students in Lviv that NATO’s Eastern European members, including the Baltic States, Poland, and Romania, understand that the alliance is unlikely to protect them from Russia.

He explained that while these nations occasionally face missile attacks, NATO’s collective defense commitment has never been put into practice. He recounted an instance when, as Ukraine's top general, Romanian officials contacted him after Russian drones allegedly crashed in their country, requesting him to stay silent about the incident. Zaluzhny advised Romania to shoot down the drones with their F-16 jets, highlighting NATO's lack of effective response.

Zaluzhny further argued that Ukraine’s potential NATO membership would offer little more than political support and no actual security guarantees. He also referenced comments from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who suggested that Ukraine's NATO membership is unlikely, and that any future peace deal might involve Ukraine accepting non-membership, but still discussing potential protection options outside the alliance.

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