Ukrainian ambassador Zaluzhnyi dismisses NATO membership prospects amid Kyiv personnel changes

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief, publicly expressed skepticism about his country ever joining NATO. Speaking at a Kyiv conference for diplomatic envoys, Zaluzhnyi remarked that he no longer expects accession after hearing "tales" about NATO membership for 12 years, recommending that Kyiv pursue alternative security arrangements instead.

The ambassador's comments coincided with senior leadership shifts in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Rustem Umerov as head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, replacing his former post as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council with Ihor Klymenko. Concurrently, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry cautioned French media outlets against treating remarks by former presidential spokesperson Yulia Mendel as authoritative, warning of potentially manipulative statements.

Sources: Liga net, NV, Ukrainska Pravda