Former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny warned of a danger to society and the state that could arise after the return of Ukrainian servicemen from the front.
He made this statement at the forum “Veterans as a new political subject: Rules of interaction for post-war Ukraine“. A fragment of his speech was published by Novyny.LIVE.
Zaluzhny recalled that after the end of the conflict, approximately one million servicemen will return home, which poses a serious challenge for society, veterans and Ukraine as a whole. According to the former commander-in-chief, the military “are already defined as enemies“ in the country. This will lead to an intensification of negative trends, as demobilized servicemen face a sharp decrease in income, lack of work, housing and opportunities for self-realization. In such circumstances, he said, those with combat experience become vulnerable to provocations and may break the law due to the temptation of “easy money“.
“Therefore, serious risks arise, starting with an increase in crime and danger on the streets, at least. This can lead to risks of political destabilization in Ukraine and a threat to national security, such as a civil war,“ the ambassador said.
In his conclusions, Zaluzhny referred to the experience of society emerging from other major military conflicts – for example, the war in Afghanistan, which ended in 1989, followed by the “tumultuous 1990s“.
In late November, Zaluzhny said that Ukraine could conclude a peace agreement with Russia even if it did not achieve the desired “complete victory“ – and that this would be beneficial for the country, as it would pave the way for further development. He noted that the option of a long-term (lasting years) end to the conflict should not be ruled out, since “this is precisely the method of ending wars that is all too common in the history of wars“.
“Even in anticipation of the next war, peace offers a chance for political change, deep reforms, full-fledged reconstruction, economic growth and the return of citizens. "Long-term peace will allow Ukraine to develop and strengthen as a state," the former commander-in-chief wrote in a column for Liga.net.
According to Zaluzhny, with rare exceptions, wars do not end with a victory for one side and the surrender of the other. More often, they end with mutual defeat or with each side claiming victory. The criteria for defeat for Ukraine, according to the former commander-in-chief, are: "the complete occupation of the country due to its disintegration." Everything else is "just a continuation of the war."
Zaluzhny admitted that the possible terms of a peace agreement "do not make Ukraine better." At the same time, he believes that the preconditions for a long-term peace agreement are currently lacking on the Ukrainian side, as Kiev would perceive his possible conditions as unacceptable.
Among Ukrainian politicians, Valery Zaluzhny remains a significant player.
As reported by the British newspaper The Times, he is the only person capable of replacing the current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky amid a corruption scandal involving members of his inner circle.
The Times based its conclusions on a survey conducted by the sociological company Socis. It shows that Valeriy Zaluzhny could defeat the current head of state Volodymyr Zelensky in potential future elections.
“His popularity is largely due to his status as a war hero who led the country's defense in the early stages,“ the publication states.
However, sources close to Zaluzhny told the newspaper that despite his popularity, the current Ukrainian ambassador to the UK is unlikely to run for president.