Expert: Ukraine's Experience In Waging War Is Vital To NATO
- 12.08.2026, 11:19
Every country must be prepared to defend itself at any moment.
As of today, Ukraine has unique combat experience that no other NATO country, including the United States, possesses. This opinion was expressed on the FREEDOM by Yaroslav Teleshun/b, a candidate of political sciences. Moreover, it is precisely this kind of experience that the North Atlantic Alliance—especially its European members—desperately needs right now.
The expert emphasized that today, Europeans take pride in the fact that there have been no wars on their territory for many decades. However, the current geopolitical situation shows that every country must be ready to defend itself at any moment.
“The Ukrainian experience consists, first and foremost, of conducting active combat operations not as part of a single operation, but within the context of a full-scale conflict. NATO countries lack such experience. When it comes to Western Europe, it prides itself on the fact that for more than 85 years, it has not experienced military conflict. On the one hand, this is undoubtedly a plus, but it also affects the defense capabilities of their armed forces and their readiness to defend their territory and sovereignty,” says Teleshun.
The uniqueness of Ukraine’s experience lies in the fact that it is facing a country that is much larger in size, has a much larger armed forces, and is economically many times more powerful.
“Ukraine has not just experience in waging war—it is waging an asymmetric war against an adversary that dominates in all types of resources: human, financial, the quantity of weapons, and so on. No country in the Alliance, including the United States, has such experience. Furthermore, it is Ukraine that is repelling an attack on its own territory. Although the U.S. has repeatedly conducted various military operations in different parts of the world, it has not engaged in active combat operations on its own territory for a long time,” the political scientist notes.
Another aspect of the uniqueness of the Ukrainian experience is the implementation of new technologies on the battlefield and adaptability.
“What Ukraine is demonstrating now is completely unfamiliar and unusual for NATO. Also important is Ukraine’s experience in using new technologies—such as drones—and its ability to adapt to new challenges. “Therefore, I would say that everything currently happening in Ukraine serves as a kind of incredible incubator and testing ground for Western countries, which haven’t seen anything like this in a long time,” the expert states.