NATO alternative? Can Ukraine create nuclear weapons and why this topic is discussed

Contents:

• What Zelenskyy told Trump
• What Bild reported about nuclear weapons and Ukraine
• Can Ukraine create nuclear weapons and why is this being discussed

What Zelenskyy told Trump

During a press conference in Brussels today, President Zelenskyy shared details of his conversation with Donald Trump during his visit to the US. According to the Ukrainian President, he discussed the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO with the US presidential candidate and said:

"Either Ukraine has nuclear weapons, which would be our protection, or we must have some kind of alliance. Apart from NATO, we do not see any effective alliances today."

He explained his position by recalling that Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for guarantees under the Budapest Memorandum, which ultimately proved ineffective. As a result, Kyiv no longer trusts such documents and views NATO membership as the only reliable defense against aggression.

What Bild reported about nuclear weapons and Ukraine

After Zelenskyy's statement, the German publication Bild published information from its journalist-analyst Julian Röpcke, suggesting that Ukraine was seriously discussing the development of nuclear weapons.

According to Röpcke, an unnamed senior Ukrainian official told him several months ago that Ukraine would not accept another Russian offensive on Kyiv and would be forced to restore its nuclear arsenal in such a case. The unnamed official said that Ukraine has the materials and knowledge, and if ordered, the first bomb could be made in just a few weeks.

RBC-Ukraine asked the Office of the President of Ukraine for comment on this Bild publication. The Office stated that the information circulated by Bild was not true.

Later, during a press conference at NATO headquarters, President Zelenskyy himself denied this information.

"We never spoke that we are preparing to create nuclear weapons," Zelenskyy emphasized.

Can Ukraine create nuclear weapons and why is this being discussed

If Ukraine wanted to, it could potentially create nuclear weapons using spent nuclear fuel from its power plants, said regional security expert Oleksii Izhak from the National Institute for Strategic Studies, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.

"We have enough physicists who have always known, at least theoretically, how to create nuclear weapons. So, I think it's technically possible," he said.

However, according to Izhak, this option has never been a Plan A and is unlikely to be seriously considered by Ukraine’s leadership. He believes that a non-nuclear Ukraine joining NATO, but under the extended nuclear deterrence, would be a better option.

"When Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons, we not only removed them from our territory, but we also consciously abandoned the option of creating them. Ukraine rejected that path, but it has always existed as an option. However, in a dire situation like the current one, where a nuclear-armed state wants to destroy us, of course, if we are not admitted to NATO, then discussing other defense measures, including developing nuclear weapons, becomes an option," the expert added.

Izhak believes that no one in Ukraine plans to abandon NATO membership in exchange for developing nuclear weapons, but such discussions may push Ukraine’s partners to implement President Zelenskyy's victory plan, including inviting Ukraine into NATO.

"I think we are reminding them that we have other options and that they shouldn't deny us NATO membership. In reality, no one wants Ukraine to be forced down the nuclear path - neither we nor our partners - but we've made it clear to them that they don't want Ukraine to go that way either," Izhak concluded.

Sources: statements of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the information from Bild, as well as comments from the Office of the President and security expert Oleksii Izhak.