It requires not only balanced planning, but also continuous management, transparent and honest communication with society. This was written in a column for NV by former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Source: Censor.NET
He outlined the key features of modern warfare, emphasizing that it has a hybrid nature and spans military, economic, political, informational, and cognitive domains.
According to him, modern war goes through several stages — from a covert phase to a full-scale invasion and transition into an existential confrontation.
Zaluzhnyi stressed that in such conditions, compromises become impossible, as it concerns the survival of the state. He compared the situation to medical logic, noting that at a certain stage of conflict, what is needed is not “preventive treatment” but surgical intervention.
Separately, he emphasized that the concept of “grey zones” in international politics is dangerous, as such territories eventually become objects of influence or aggression.
In his view, the future world order should exclude the existence of such zones, as they create risks for neighboring states and become sources of instability.
Zaluzhnyi also noted that attempts to turn the war in Ukraine into a subject of political bargaining have failed, and the country must maintain its agency and avoid decisions that could threaten its statehood.
He stressed that the main conditions for Ukraine’s resilience are economic capacity and society’s ability to withstand a prolonged war.
“Economy combined with societal readiness becomes the blood of war,” he said, adding that the energy infrastructure remains the most vulnerable.
Zaluzhnyi also emphasized the importance of preserving democratic institutions even during wartime, as abandoning them could lead to strategic defeat.
He stressed that modern warfare is increasingly turning into a “war of attrition,” where technologies, particularly unmanned systems and artificial intelligence, play a key role.
In conclusion, he noted that diplomacy, international support, and economic resilience remain critical elements of security, and Ukraine’s experience is significant for the entire Europe in the new security architecture.