RT reported that on February 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Western countries should provide additional military equipment, including nuclear weapons, or quickly put Ukraine in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NSA) to soon end the conflict with Russia.
Mr Zelensky explained that Ukraine's future would not be guaranteed if it could not join the US-led military sector, and called on the international community to reissue permissions to use nuclear weapons to Kiev.
In recent months, Mr. Zelensky has repeatedly expressed regret that Ukraine has abandoned the Soviet nuclear weapons deployed in the country's territory in exchange for security guarantees.
Kiev inherited about 1,700 nuclear warheads after the Soviet Union disbanded in 1991. However, according to Russia's statement, Ukraine has never owned this type of weapon because according to the law, all of the Soviet military assets belong to Moscow.
However, when answering an interview earlier this year, Mr Zelensky said Kiev used nuclear weapons to protect the country before handing it over to Moscow. Previously, in October 2024, he also mentioned using this type of weapon and emphasized that Ukraine could protect itself if it becomes a nuclear power.
An unnamed US official later revealed that former President Joe Biden's administration could consider this. However, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan immediately denied the information, and affirmed that the idea was “not on the considering side.”
On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would be forced to use all types of heavy military equipment, what he calls “destroyal means” in the case of Ukraine using nuclear weapons. “We will not allow that to happen,” Putin added.
