All news
Zelensky denies Ukraine's preparations for creating nuclear weapons
Ukraine has no alternative to joining NATO for its security, Zelensky said. Russia opposes both Kiev's possession of nuclear weapons and its membership in the alliance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a press conference with new Secretary General Mark Rutte that Ukraine does not intend to develop nuclear weapons and that joining NATO is the only way forward, Hromadske reports.
"We have never said that we are preparing to create nuclear weapons. <...> Therefore, there is no alternative to NATO. This is our signal, but we are not creating nuclear weapons," the head of state said.
Prime Minister Zelenskyy mentioned that he discussed Ukraine's accession to NATO with former US President Donald Trump. "If Ukraine gets nuclear weapons, it will protect us, otherwise we will have to form some kind of alliance," the Ukrainian leader said of the conversation. He added that he was aware of "no effective alliance" outside NATO.
The German newspaper Bild reported several months ago that a Ukrainian official “specializing in arms procurement” had said that Kyiv had the resources and expertise to build nuclear weapons. Once such an order was given, the first bombs would be built within weeks, sources told correspondent Julian Röpke.
As a non-nuclear weapons state, Ukraine joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and renounced its nuclear weapons. They agreed to remove all nuclear weapons from their territory. In 1994, the Budapest Memorandum was signed, according to which Russia, the United States and Great Britain promised to respect the independence, sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine's renunciation of nuclear weapons. The elimination of nuclear weapons from Ukraine to Russia was completed in 1996. Ukraine only has fuel for nuclear power plants.
Russia opposes Ukraine's membership in NATO and its possession of nuclear weapons. In June, President Vladimir Putin announced terms for a ceasefire and peace talks with Kiev. These included a neutral, non-aligned, non-nuclear status for Ukraine and a formal renunciation of NATO membership.