Ukraine must think about its security, it cannot be exchanged for money or political preferences, - Zaluzhnyi
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, stated that future wars will be shaped by robotic systems and artificial intelligence, and that Ukraine must adapt to new security challenges.
He stated this at an event hosted by the Diplomatic Club of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center, according to Censor.NET.
Details
"Scientific and technological progress is leading to a situation where modern warfare will take the form of vast digital battlefields where robotic systems and robots will operate. These systems may be controlled by humans, or they may already possess their own artificial intelligence."
"To be prepared for such a war, we must now have capabilities in five domains: on the water and underwater, on land, in the air, in space, and in the digital realm, including cybersecurity," the statement reads.
According to Zaluzhnyi, since around 2024, when the war entered a phase of attrition, a struggle to reshape the world order has been underway.
"The old rules no longer apply. This is evident in the war in Iran, and it was clearly demonstrated by the Russia-Ukraine war. For example, annexation has lost its meaning. In 2023, we mapped out an operation to isolate Crimea from afar. Our Western partners didn’t believe in it at the time. But today, it’s working," he emphasized.
The ambassador noted that Putin had managed to achieve only one strategic goal—he had opened a land corridor from Russia to Crimea.
"But right now, the Russians can't use it—all because of scientific and technological progress and Ukraine's missile strikes. Technological progress isn't concerned with political processes. It evolves according to the laws of physics.
"However, changes in the world order are inevitable not only because of the war in Ukraine and other conflicts, but also because of the multitude of new strategic challenges currently facing most countries—ranging from migration to internal changes in their political systems," he emphasized.
Therefore, according to Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine should adapt to the new circumstances and think about its security.
"If we trade security for anything—money, economic development, warmth in our homes, or certain political preferences—it will once again put Ukraine at risk in the long run."
"Ukraine's future lies solely in security. Of course, this shouldn't be security for security's sake and nothing else. It must also guarantee economic development. And that is possible only if Ukraine is part of an appropriate economic and political environment—that is, as a member of alliances capable of responding to the challenges of the new world order," he concluded.
