Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stirred controversy by suggesting that Ukraine should be given nuclear weapons if NATO membership continues to be delayed.
At a Glance
- Zelenskyy proposes nuclear armament as a deterrent against future Russian invasions
- Ukraine relinquished its nuclear weapons in 1994 for security assurances from global powers
- NATO membership remains elusive for Ukraine despite its 2022 application
- U.S. unlikely to support Ukraine regaining nuclear weapons
- Zelenskyy open to negotiations with Putin, but no meeting arranged yet
Zelenskyy’s Nuclear Proposal
In a bold statement that has caught the attention of the international community, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Ukraine should be given nuclear weapons if its path to NATO membership continues to face obstacles.
“Will we be given nuclear weapons? Then let them give us nuclear weapons,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader has criticized the country’s 1990s decision to give up its nuclear arsenal, which was done in exchange for security assurances from Russia, the UK, and the US under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
NATO Membership Challenges
Ukraine applied to join NATO at the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. However, the country has yet to receive an official invitation to join the alliance. Several NATO members, including the United States, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, have shown resistance to Ukraine’s entry, despite an allied pledge that Kyiv’s path to membership is “irreversible.”
The ongoing conflict and geopolitical tensions have complicated Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, leaving the country in a precarious security situation. Zelenskyy’s nuclear proposal appears to be a calculated move to draw attention to Ukraine’s security needs and push for stronger international support.
U.S. Response and Negotiations
The United States, a key NATO member and Ukraine’s most powerful ally, is unlikely to support Ukraine’s nuclear ambitions. Retired Lt. General Keith Kellogg, who previously served as an advisor to President Donald Trump, offered a sobering assessment of the situation.
“The chance of them getting their nuclear weapons back is somewhere between slim and none,” Kellogg said.
Despite the nuclear rhetoric, Zelenskyy has expressed willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, although no such meeting has been arranged. Initial talks between Ukraine and Russia have begun, with both sides acknowledging that concessions will be necessary for a peace deal.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged increased support for Ukraine, warning that a Russian victory would be a costly geopolitical mistake for NATO allies.
“If we get a bad deal, it would only mean that we will see the president of Russia high-fiving with the leaders of North Korea, Iran and China, and we cannot accept that,” Rutte stated.
