As Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, I’m saying it is impossible to forecast when this war will end
The large-scale changes that have occurred on the battlefields of the Russian-Ukrainian war have changed the paradigm of how warfare is waged Credit: Anatolii Stepanov
Published 21 March 2026
It was obvious that if the Russian-Ukrainian war could not be stopped by a global solution, we would become witnesses and participants in a major new confrontation.
It was our war that led first to the inability to resolve conflicts diplomatically and later to the destruction of international law, both de jure and de facto.
A destroyed balance in one part of the world brings the desire and necessity to destroy the balance in another place and so on until global war or until the number of local conflicts will approach a Third World War in terms of intensity and consequences.
In 2022, Russia expected to defeat Ukraine in a matter of days or even hours. Most of the world perceived Russia’s victory as inevitable, albeit tragic.
However, something did not go according to expectations but according to a harsh truth that could change everything. The Ukrainian people themselves took the chance and made a global decision. And we are still fighting.
Global attention is now focused on the escalation in the Middle East. The rapidity of past wars in this region has given rise to many fantasies. But I am forced to disappoint everyone. Today, it is impossible to predict and forecast the course and options for the end of this war.
The large-scale changes that have occurred on the battlefields of the Russian-Ukrainian war have changed the paradigm of how warfare is waged. As a result, they have changed the very essence of the combat capabilities of those who would like to test them.
Today, in a relatively cheap way, any country can have combat capabilities that completely outstrip its economic or demographic situation if there is a desire and political will for it.
According to traditional textbooks, the war in Iran should have only two strategies. These are the strategy of defeat and the strategy of attrition.
With the first strategy, everything is clear, as with “Kyiv in three days”. Probably someone thought that this was possible in Iran also.
Zaluzhnyi at a service in February at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Credit: Eddie Mulholland
But if the defending side switches to a strategy of attrition, the attacking side will definitely have big problems.
Because cheap and highly effective technologies will not only destroy the oil industry but will also destroy the economy of anyone who tries to test Ukraine’s experience in the Middle East.
One more thing can be foreseen if there is a ground operation in Iran. It is very dangerous if one of the sides tries to test how the “kill zone” works in desert terrain. This will be a disaster.
The most important thing about the “kill zone” technology is that it not only makes no sense for living people to be in this zone, but it is also impossible because this area is completely controlled by drones that hunt people and machines.
It will be a big mistake if someone tries to turn a soldier into a machine and puts boots on the ground in the kill zone.
So, if you hear that this is another war – a war between the major world powers for influence and power – think carefully about whether everyone is physically ready to fight for this.
It is certain that at least three countries are already ready for it, including Iran. Russia is constantly using Iranian technology in its war against Ukraine.
The third country is Ukraine. That is the only positive in this dangerous situation for us. As for the rest, war is the most terrible thing that humanity has invented.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi is Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ukraine
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/21/ukraine-war-tells-us-about-iran-conflict/
“The third country is Ukraine. That is the only positive in this dangerous situation for us. As for the rest, war is the most terrible thing that humanity has invented.”
Another pretty gloomy article from the General.
The DT has disallowed comments on this. Probably anticipating a steam of trolls coming from the SP troll farm, magaputler shitheads and Reform retards.
We have seen the crass, intensely hateful rhetoric addressed at Zel and Ukraine by Krasnov and the members of his putrid regime.
And we can be appalled at the constant praise of the child murderer from Krasnov and the grovelling sycophancy from the disgusting worm Witless.
Yet no one in Kremlin West can explain the dichotomy of their position on Iran and that of its senior partner in devilry : putlerstan.
It’s FUBAR.
Gary Kasparov:
“Trump is criticized for his inconsistency in nearly everything, flip-flopping sentence to sentence even about a war he started. But on one thing he is incredibly consistent: never criticizing Vladimir Putin and promoting Russian interests.”
Ain’t that the truth?