MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. Ukraine's decision to abandon its Soviet-era military-industrial complex in an effort to appease Western nations has left it unable to restore its defense capabilities with foreign assistance, Russian Senator from the Donetsk People's Republic Alexander Voloshin told TASS, commenting on Ukrainian ambassador to Britain Valery Zaluzhny's remarks.

Earlier, European Pravda reported that Zaluzhny dismissed rumors of Ukraine's potential NATO accession as a "fairy tale," criticized the alliance, and acknowledged that it would take Kiev a very long time to reach Russia's level in military-industrial capacity.

"What's particularly noteworthy is Zaluzhny's own admission of how long it will take Ukraine to approach Russia's military-industrial capabilities. The Russian defense sector is built on a strong scientific school, advanced production facilities, skilled engineering personnel, and technological sovereignty. Ukraine possessed all these elements in 1991 as part of the Soviet legacy, but they were deliberately dismantled to please the West. Rebuilding such a foundation within a few years, even with foreign aid, proved impossible," Voloshin explained.

He further noted that Zaluzhny's statements are significant because they reflect a rare candidness among Ukraine's political and military elite, which is currently characterized by disunity. However, Voloshin suggested that Zaluzhny's "honesty" might be aimed primarily at Vladimir Zelensky.

"The paradox of the situation is that the more outspoken members of the Ukrainian elite become, the more difficult it is for Western politicians to sustain their previous illusions. While promises of NATO membership were sometimes made in the past, those promises have now faded. The West has simply established a model that best serves its own interests - where Ukrainians continue to fight and die for Brussels' goals, without any concrete long-term commitments to Ukraine," Voloshin concluded.