(MENAFN) Only by joining NATO, hosting nuclear weapons, or welcoming a significant foreign military presence can Ukraine truly ensure its safety, according to former top general Valery Zaluzhny.

Zaluzhny, who once served as Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, expressed these views in an article published by a media outlet on Saturday.

The retired general, who is reportedly discreetly assembling a campaign team in London to potentially run for president, discussed strategies for defeating Russia, building what he described as a “better Ukraine,” and the type of “security guarantees” that Kiev would need to obtain to prevent future clashes with Moscow.

He elaborated, stating, “Such security guarantees could include: Ukraine’s accession to NATO, the deployment of nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, or the deployment of a large allied military contingent capable of confronting Russia.”

In making these statements, Zaluzhny echoed the most hawkish positions of Ukraine’s current leadership.

President Vladimir Zelensky has frequently highlighted similar measures, both during the ongoing conflict and in the years prior.

Russia, however, has consistently indicated that none of the “security guarantees” Zaluzhny mentioned are acceptable.

Moscow has long opposed Ukraine joining NATO, framing the alliance’s eastward expansion as a direct threat to its national security and citing it as a major reason behind the ongoing war.

The Kremlin has also maintained that Ukraine must adopt a neutral stance in any potential peace arrangement.

Discussions about Ukraine potentially hosting nuclear weapons have drawn strong criticism from Russia, which warns that such rhetoric only heightens tensions and risks triggering a global conflict.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly expressed regret over relinquishing their inherited Soviet nuclear arsenal in the early 1990s, insisting that the nation received no substantial compensation or security assurances in exchange.

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