“When we talk about victory, we need to honestly say this: victory is the collapse of the Russian Empire, and defeat is the complete occupation of Ukraine due to its collapse. Everything else is just a continuation of the war,” he said.
The former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine emphasized that Ukrainians “are striving for complete victory – the collapse of the Russian Empire.”
“But we cannot reject the option of a long-term (for years) cessation of war, because this is precisely the way to end wars that is too common in the history of wars. At the same time, peace, even in anticipation of the next war, provides a chance for political changes, for deep reforms, for full restoration, economic growth, and the return of citizens,” Zaluzhny believes.
In his opinion, “one can even talk about the beginning of the formation of a safe, maximally protected state thanks to innovation and technology; the formation and strengthening of the foundations of a fair state through the fight against corruption and the creation of a fair court; the economic development of the country, in particular on the basis of international economic programs for the restoration of the country.”
Zaluzhny also spoke about possible security guarantees for Ukraine and even, theoretically, for Russia.
“In a situation where the concept of international law and the system of support for this law no longer exist, the conclusion [мирных] Agreements without creating guarantees of long-term security are absolutely impossible. Such security guarantees could be: Ukraine’s entry into NATO, the deployment of nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, or the deployment of a large military contingent capable of resisting Russia. However, today we are not talking about this,” he emphasized.
According to the Ukrainian diplomat, due to the unpreparedness of NATO countries or others “except Russia, Ukraine and China” for this, this issue cannot be considered in principle, and “the war will probably continue,” and not only in the military, but also in the political and economic spheres.
“Another aspect is the gradual reduction in cost of war due to the development of technology, on the one hand, and an increase in total strike capabilities, on the other. This may finally lead to a situation where Russia will eventually need the same security guarantees. No matter how strange it may sound,” Zaluzhny said.
He noted that such security guarantees can be capital that can mutually guarantee their preservation and that “will not allow collapse in the post-war years both in Ukraine and in Russia” – because “such economic damage will also have political consequences,” as it was, according to Zaluzhny, at the beginning of the 20th century.
