Three important messages from Zaluzhnyi in the article and interview in the Economist
The war with Russia has entered a positional phase. This is a harsh, unpopular, but honest diagnosis. It means that neither side in the war has an advantage for a complete and final victory, and the front line will not significantly change. In fact, it has changed very little for almost a year since the liberation of Kherson. This situation could drag on indefinitely.
This is a signal, first and foremost, to our Western partners. But it is also important for us not to have illusions and excessive expectations of a quick victory in the war against Russia.
The West needs to define its strategy in this war. (The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii) Zaluzhnyi’s article in the Economist served as an informal response to a group of U.S. Republican Congressmen who sent an open letter to the President of the United States regarding the goals and strategy of the United States in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
We need to break free from the trap of positional warfare
Of course, Zaluzhnyi’s article was not written with that purpose (it was prepared earlier), but it appeared very timely. The general has clearly articulated the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and what can and should be done to change the current balance of forces in the war with Russia in favor of Ukraine.
We need to break free from the trap of positional warfare. However, based on Zaluzhnyi’s text, we cannot do this on our own. Our Western partners need to do more than just provide minimal assistance to prevent us from losing this war.
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What we can and must do on our own is “build up reserves.” If we translate the “fifth priority” in Zaluzhnyi’s proposals into simpler and more straightforward language, it refers to a more effective and extensive mobilization. We cannot win the war with the forces of only those young men and women who are already fighting in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And this is already a signal to Ukrainian society.
I would add that this is also a signal to some subordinates of Zaluzhnyi who can simply follow orders. The conscription system is subordinate to the command of the Ground Forces.
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However, this system still remains Soviet in its essence, being both morally and physically outdated.
The necessary change should target not just the conscription officers but the entire recruitment and mobilization system for the military. This decision should fall within the purview of the National Security and Defense Council, with the specific methodology requiring the attention of military experts.
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