Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s former military Commander-in-Chief and current envoy to the United Kingdom, has asserted that World War III has commenced, citing the direct involvement of Russia’s autocratic allies in the ongoing conflict.
Speaking at the Ukrainska Pravda’s UP100 award ceremony, Zaluzhny stated, “I absolutely believe that in 2024 we can believe that the Third World War has begun.”
He highlighted the presence of North Korean soldiers and Iranian drones, known as ‘Shaheds,’ actively participating in the war against Ukraine. “Soldiers from North Korea are standing in front of Ukraine. Let’s be honest. Already in Ukraine, the Iranian ‘Shahedis’ are killing civilians absolutely openly, without any shame,” he remarked.
Zaluzhny urged Ukraine’s allies to take decisive action to prevent the conflict from spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders. “It is still possible to stop it here, on the territory of Ukraine. But for some reason, our partners do not want to understand this. It is obvious that Ukraine already has too many enemies,” he warned.
His comments come amid reports of Moscow deploying over 10,000 North Korean troops to the Kursk region and utilizing Iranian drones and other advanced weaponry against Ukraine.
Zaluzhny emphasized the critical role of technology in Ukraine’s defense, stating, “Ukraine will survive with technology, but it is not clear whether it can win this battle alone.”
His speech coincided with Russia’s use of a hypersonic ballistic missile in Dnipro, an attack that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned as a severe escalation. “This is a clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war,” Zelensky said.
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Despite his dismissal earlier this year due to tensions with President Zelensky, Zaluzhny remains a significant voice in Ukraine’s military and political discourse. He was once celebrated for halting Russia’s initial invasion in February 2022. General Oleksandr Syrskyi replaced him, reportedly for his closer alignment with Zelensky’s strategies.