Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and currently the country's ambassador to Great Britain, has warned about the potential for serious risks concerning veterans in the post-war period.
Modern.az reports, citing the Ukrainian press, that he voiced these thoughts at an online forum titled “Veterans as a New Political Subject: Rules of Interaction for Post-War Ukraine.”
The former commander even stated that there is a threat of civil war in Ukraine.
According to Zaluzhnyi, although the war has not yet ended, a negative attitude towards military personnel has begun to form in society in some cases. He stated that individuals returning from the war and discharged from the army may face unemployment, loss of income, housing issues, and problems with integration into society amidst a deteriorating economic situation. This, in turn, could lead people with combat experience to engage in various provocations and be tempted to earn “easy money” through illegal means.
Zaluzhnyi noted that such processes could result in an increase in crime and heightened security risks on the streets. He recalled that the periods following World War II and the Afghan War provided serious examples in this regard.
The former commander-in-chief did not rule out that political stability could also be at risk. According to him, the end of the war and the return of approximately one million military personnel, those who are able, to their homes and their transition to veteran status will be a new and challenging stage for the state, society, and the veterans themselves. Zaluzhnyi emphasized that if this process is not managed correctly, it could lead to severe consequences for the country.
