Zelensky regrets Ukraine's lack of nuclear weapons
(MENAFN) Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky expresses disappointment over Kiev's inability to possess nuclear arms to counter Moscow effectively. He shared this sentiment during an interview with US podcaster Lex Fridman on Sunday.
In the three-hour discussion, Fridman revealed his “dream” of Zelensky, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and US President-elect Donald trump meeting in person to broker peace.
When asked what security measures could appease both Ukraine and Russia, Zelensky launched into a detailed critique of how Western nations, described as “partners” and “security guarantors,” had failed Ukraine in the past.
“Ukraine had security guarantees. The Budapest Memorandum, nuclear weapons are the security guarantees that Ukraine had. Ukraine had nuclear weapons. I do not want to characterize it as good or bad. Today, the fact that we do not have them is bad,” Zelensky remarked.
Following the Soviet Union’s collapse, approximately 1,700 nuclear warheads remained stationed in Ukraine. Although this arsenal technically positioned Ukraine as the third-largest nuclear power, the weapons were always under Russia's operational command. Kiev’s government has repeatedly argued that Ukraine relinquished its nuclear stockpile through the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in exchange for security assurances from Russia, the UK, and the US.
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