“Our army met the invasion with a huge lack of everything”: Former Ukrainian army commander Valeri Zalujnyi, calls for reforms after a possible peace deal

Former Ukrainian army commander Valeri Zalujnîi calls for political change and reforms after a possible peace deal, in an op-ed published on November 29 in The Telegraph, quoted by The Kyiv Independent.

“Peace, even if it is just a pause before the next war, offers a chance for political change, for deep reforms, for a full recovery, for economic growth and for the return of citizens,” wrote Zalujnyi, who led Ukraine's defense against a 2022 Russian invasion and remains a popular figure in the country.

The comments come as Zelenskiy is going through one of the most turbulent political periods of his tenure.

Andrii Iermak, a close friend of the president and former head of the presidential office, resigned on November 28 following a search of his apartment in a widening corruption scandal.

Zalujnîi, sacked as head of the army in 2024 amid rising tensions with Zelenskiy and later appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom, is seen by many as a possible major candidate in the upcoming presidential election.

The ambassador has repeatedly denied running a political campaign and has spoken out against holding elections while the war continues.

In his article, Zalujnîi presented a vision for post-war Ukraine, calling for “strengthening the foundations of justice by fighting corruption and creating an honest judicial system,” without directly mentioning the latest scandal.

The former commander admitted that Ukraine is in an “extremely difficult situation” and that such developments would be “impossible without effective security guarantees”, such as the country's accession to NATO or the deployment of allied troops or nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraine.

The peace negotiations received a new impetus after the appearance of the American-Russian peace plan, consisting of 28 points, whose provisions were strongly favorable to Moscow. Ukraine and its European partners rushed to get involved in the document as Washington pressed for Kiev to quickly accept it.

Meanwhile, details have emerged of low-key diplomacy between senior US and Russian officials earlier in the year, during which Moscow reportedly proposed various deals instead of talking through the usual channels of the US security apparatus, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“We Ukrainians aim for complete victory”

Warning against a “rushed peace” that could lead to the loss of independence, the former commander stressed that a war does not necessarily end with the victory of one side.

“We Ukrainians aim for a complete victory, but we cannot rule out the option of a long-term cessation of war,” he wrote.

Zalujnii also criticized the fact that Ukraine did not allocate enough funds for defense in 2021, while Russia was expanding its military capabilities.

“Consequently, our army met the next year's full-scale invasion with a huge shortage of everything – from men to weaponry,” he added.