Ukraine is seriously considering the possibility of restoring nuclear weapons. This is reported by Bild with reference to a source.
“We have the materials, we have the knowledge. If there is an order, it will only take us a few weeks to get the first bomb,” said a Ukrainian official.
And Western countries should think less about Russia’s red lines and much more about Ukraine’s red lines.
According to analyst Julian Repke, a condition for restoring the nuclear weapons Ukraine has surrendered could be a second attempt by the Russian Federation to go after Kyiv.
Didn’t Ukraine give up its nukes specifically under the condition that Russia would leave them alone as a free independent nation? Seems those terms went out the window years ago.
Ya.
By years ago, ypu mean 2014?
I thought it was 2016, but yeah, somewhere around then.
Exactly. That treaty was already violated. So there is no longer any treaty preventing them from becomming a nuclear power again.
I’m surprised it took them this long to even threaten the idea, although it could simply be that they already built some weapons to have a stockpile before the announcement. I can totally see Putin thinking “oh they only have one bomb, that’s an acceptable loss to stop them from building more before we have another MAD stalemate.”
And that the US would protect them if attacked.
'93 Budapest protocol I believe
That is not what the Budapest Memorandum says. It’s really short so you can just read it but it only requires the US to bring the matter to the UN security counsel which they have. Russia has violated most provisions but the US hasn’t violated any.
Knew I was missing something.
Kinda seems like a moot clause considering Russia has veto powers in the UNSC.
Ah I wasn’t aware of that part of the deal. I wonder if they’re threatening nukes because they’re getting nervous that Trump might get re-elected and not honor that deal?
They’re threatening to build nukes because they have nukes, I believe both France and Israel came out as nuclear nations in the same “we’ll just float becoming a nuclear nation and see what happens.”
There’s still Soviet nuclear material missing and Ukraine has both mines and the know how to assemble older nukes anyway because that was done to some extent in Ukraine during the Soviet Union.
Yes and that exchange has been observed by the whole world. I doubt we will ever see one like it again
Anyone that gives up all of their nukes is nuts… as demonstrated by the Ukraine case.
You might limit the amount, how many do you really need … not thousands… that’s expensive anyway.
With this message I would not be surprised if in some underground mining complex Ukraine has centrifuges being installed already.
Well they claim they have what they need already.
Unknown if that’s for a dirty bomb or a true nuclear fission weapon
They have ballistic missiles and plenty of nuclear materials. If the nuclear materials are weapons grade is doubtfull but not impossible