On November 30, a Ukrainian delegation is scheduled to meet in Florida with prominent U.S. politicians to discuss a peace plan involving the freezing of the war. The topic of freezing the conflict is increasingly discussed among Ukrainian military and political leaders. In a comprehensive column for Liga, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny, outlined his vision for ending the war.
Zaluzhny noted that excessive reliance on Western weapons cannot be a long-term strategy; Ukraine’s demographic mobilization faces significant problems, and effective defense is possible only with strong public support and coordinated mobilization, armed forces, and state governance.
The column analyzes the threats of political and economic collapse, criticizes the underfunding of the army since 2019 and a shortage of military personnel, which left Ukraine underprepared for a full-scale war compared to Russia.
Zaluzhny emphasizes that preserving statehood was a genuine victory, though it came at a high cost. Now, a 'war of attrition' has begun, in which political, economic, and information fronts play a key role. Russia’s main goal, he says, is the destruction of Ukrainian statehood.
The author notes that most wars end with compromise or temporary ceasefire, not total capitulation, opening a window for reforms and political change. Comprehensive security guarantees for Ukraine currently seem unlikely. According to Zaluzhny, peace must allow future generations to thrive and is only possible if Ukraine has strong internal unity and wise governance.
