Valeriy Saluschny says Ukraine will not join NATO as US warns of possible Russian attack on alliance
Former Ukrainian army chief Valeriy Saluschny said Ukraine will never become a NATO member, arguing that the country's armed forces cannot meet the alliance's standards and that NATO would need about twelve years to revise its standards, still reaching only half of Russia's current capability. He suggested that Ukraine may instead join a new European military security bloc.
Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhij Tychyj said Saluschny's remarks were taken out of context, and the statements sparked immediate debate in Kyiv.
U.S. intelligence agencies warned that Russia could launch a cyber attack or a limited ground incursion against a NATO member between autumn 2026 and 2029, aiming to test alliance cohesion. The reports note that U.S. stocks of precision‑strike missiles, ATACMS rockets and Stinger air‑defence systems have been reduced by deliveries to Ukraine and other conflicts.
Entities: NATO · Ukraine · United States · Valeriy Saluschny · Vladimir Putin
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Valeriy Saluschny said Ukraine will never join NATO. (Valeriy Saluschny)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Saluschny said NATO would need about twelve years to revise its standards. (Valeriy Saluschny)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The timeframe for a potential Russian attack on NATO is between autumn 2026 and 2029. (U.S. intelligence agencies)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhij Tychyj said Saluschny's comments were taken out of context. (Heorhij Tychyj)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] U.S. stocks of precision‑strike missiles, ATACMS rockets and Stinger air‑defence systems have been reduced by deliveries to Ukraine and other conflicts. (U.S. intelligence agencies)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Possible Russian attack scenarios include cyber attacks and a limited ground incursion on NATO's eastern flank. (U.S. intelligence agencies)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Saluschny suggested Ukraine may join a European military security bloc instead of NATO. (Valeriy Saluschny)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] U.S. intelligence agencies warned that Russia could attack a NATO member before the end of the Ukraine war. (U.S. intelligence agencies)