Montgomery said Ukraine’s ability to deny Russia control of the Black Sea without deploying large naval vessels was one of the most significant military achievements of the war. In his view, Ukraine’s future naval strength lies in a combination of anti-ship missiles, unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, aerial drones and intelligence—rather than large ships vulnerable to missile strikes.

Ultimately, he said, Ukraine’s advantage lies not only in technology but in resilience. “You have shown the strongest societal resilience in the world,” he said. “Authoritarian empires come here to die.”