The decision to attack Ukraine in 2022 will prove as fatal for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as the attack on the Soviet Union was for Nazi Germany's leader Adolf Hitler.
This statement was made by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, in a column for Ukrainska Pravda.
He cautioned that the war against Ukraine is ongoing, with the possibility of either victory or defeat. In this context, the former commander-in-chief urged the entire democratic world to unite in the fight against the “man-eating dictator.”
“While the West continued to fear Putin’s so-called ‘red lines’ and clung to prayers to avoid escalation, China, North Korea, and Iran have already aligned themselves around Russia. The democratic countries' delay in providing Ukraine with the necessary amount of weapons has led to a shift in the battlefield situation,” Zaluzhnyi emphasized.
According to him, the conflict has entered a protracted war.
“New technologies are emerging on the frontlines, becoming decisive and set to reshape global security in the future,” the ambassador added.
He called on the democratic world to consider whether this war will remain confined to Ukraine.
The former commander-in-chief argued that dictatorial regimes are more adaptable to warfare because they can mobilize millions to dig trenches and produce ammunition. However, such regimes are prone to errors, as history repeatedly demonstrates.
“In a system where one person makes all the decisions, there is no room for alternative perspectives. That is why Hitler’s decision to attack the Soviet Union ultimately became fatal for him. Similarly, Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in 2022 will also prove fatal, thanks to our extraordinary efforts,” Zaluzhnyi stressed.
He concluded that in the war against Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship, it is not enough to merely survive. It is crucial to develop a new strategy that strengthens national resilience and facilitates a transition to innovative technological solutions. Victory will require not just endurance but decisive and timely responses to emerging challenges, Zaluzhnyi added.
