Zaluzhnyi in London: Society must temporarily give up its freedoms in order to survive
The former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the current ambassador of Ukraine to Britain, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, believes that society must agree to temporarily give up a number of freedoms for the sake of survival, he said this at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
According to Zaluzhnyi, it is always necessary to prepare for war – not in purely military aspects, but also in all spheres of state activity.
"The readiness for war will be determined not only by the readiness of the army to repel aggression, but also by the readiness of society to confront the enemy," said the diplomat and former army chief.
In his opinion, society must agree to temporarily give up a number of freedoms for the sake of survival. In addition, politicians can and should mobilize society, since modern wars require the efforts of not only the army, but also society in general.
"Perhaps the most difficult and important component is the readiness of society, based on honest and transparent communication between the government and the people <...> War is the maximum concentration of forces for survival. And only for this," said Zaluzhnyi.
On February 8, 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Zaluzhnyi from the position of the head of the Armed Forces, appointing Oleksandr Syrskyi in his place. The next day, Zelenskyy conferred the title of Hero of Ukraine on the ex-army chief.
On March 7, the president approved Zaluzhnyi's candidacy for the post of ambassador to Britain, and on May 9, the former head officially assumed this position.
On July 18, Zelenskyy arrived in Britain, where Zaluzhnyi met him from the plane. There he reported for the first time on the results of his work as an ambassador.