"NATO is shifting from a policy of deterrence to one of actual defense," says Hetmanchuk

Alona Hetmanchuk, head of Ukraine’s mission to NATO, made this statement in a comment to “Shelter.”

According to Hetmanchuk, the Alliance is undergoing a large-scale internal transformation, although most of these processes remain behind closed doors.

As the expert explained, the main change lies in the shift from a policy of deterrence to a readiness to directly defend Alliance member states (defense).

Hetmanchuk emphasized that following Russia’s full-scale invasion, NATO has developed specific defense plans for various regions, particularly the eastern flank, which includes the Baltic states and Poland.

She also noted that there is a full recognition within the Alliance of Russia as a long-term threat. While this was primarily a political signal in NATO’s Strategic Concept, adopted at the 2022 Madrid Summit, this assessment is now backed by practical decisions and military planning.

In addition, Hetmanchuk noted that the cooperation process is mutual: Ukraine still has much to learn from NATO, but the Alliance itself recognizes that it has much to learn from Ukraine, particularly in light of the experience of modern warfare.

As a reminder, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and now Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, previously stated that Ukraine’s path toward NATO membership is not viable. In particular, one obstacle is that “it is impossible to join an organization based on World War II doctrines with the level of development currently seen in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Zaluzhny’s remarks were taken out of context. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyy explained that the speech focused primarily on the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), not on the prospects of Ukraine’s NATO membership.

Later, Zaluzhnyy clarified his controversial remarks about NATO, emphasizing that he supports Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance but believes that the bloc itself requires a profound transformation.