Zelenskyy says it’s madness to think Russia can use nuclear weapons
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
Russia will not dare to use nuclear weapons, as that would be an act of madness, according to an interview with the leader aired on Fox News.
The host asked what, in the Ukrainian leader’s view, US President Donald Trump could do against Russia as a nuclear power, recalling how he once threatened to completely destroy Hamas for the sake of peace in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy said that right now, it doesn’t matter how big a country is or whether it has nuclear weapons.
He said that starting a Third World nuclear war would be madness and that they couldn't even imagine Russia using nuclear weapons; otherwise they would need a new planet.
The head of state emphasized that there are tools that hit the aggressor hard - primarily sanctions and restrictions, including on the export of Russian energy resources.
He agreed with Trump that European private companies should stop purchasing any energy resources from Russia. At the same time, Zelenskyy asked the US leader not to tie the implementation of US sanctions to this.
The president said that he understood his position and his steps, as he wanted Europe to stop buying from Russia first, but that was difficult for them because they didn’t have much time, so for him it was better if the US made parallel decisions.
Zelenskyy also suggested that Trump could pressure Hungary to give up Russian energy resources and added that Ukraine is ready to help Slovakia find an alternative.
Russian nuclear threats
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
In November 2024, the Kremlin leader approved a new Russian nuclear doctrine. According to it, Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against it and its allies by any non-nuclear state, but with the support of another nuclear state.
In December 2024, in Minsk, Putin and Lukashenko signed a union treaty on security guarantees between Russia and Belarus. The treaty legalized the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory to ensure the reliable protection of both countries’ security.
In February 2025, Putin submitted the treaty on security guarantees with Belarus to the State Duma for ratification.
