Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued an ultimatum to NATO, warning that his country may seek nuclear weapons if it does not receive membership in the Alliance.
This promise was made during a conversation with former U.S. President Donald Trump last September. Zelensky stated that he told Trump that Ukraine would either join “some kind of alliance” or be “forced to pursue nuclear weapons,” adding that he does not see a stronger option than NATO.
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“I believe Trump heard me and said it was a fair argument,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky spoke from Brussels, where he met with EU leaders on October 17 to present his “victory plan” in the ongoing war with Russia. A press conference was also held with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the organization’s headquarters. Rutte avoided endorsing Zelensky’s plan, saying that there are “many political and military issues” that need to be considered.
These remarks represent a significant escalation in Kyiv’s attempts to secure security guarantees amid the war with Russia, which began on February 24, 2022. Zelensky made it clear that NATO support is crucial for Ukraine’s survival.
Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is progressing, but has not yet resulted in an official invitation. All current members must agree to provide such an invitation.
At recent summits, such as the one in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2023 and in Washington in 2024, NATO has reiterated its commitment to Ukraine’s future in the alliance. At the Washington summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” adding that the path to membership is “irreversible.”
The Kremlin has consistently pointed to NATO’s eastward expansion as a justification for its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has intensified its efforts to secure additional support from the West in recent months. While NATO member countries have provided military aid, intelligence, and financial support, they have so far refrained from offering Ukraine full membership.
Countries like Poland, the Baltic states, and other Eastern European nations strongly support Ukraine’s admission.
On the other hand, hesitation arises from concerns that it could provoke a larger conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has threatened NATO with “catastrophic consequences” regarding nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is strengthening its bilateral ties with individual NATO members. Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine signed a security agreement with Greece, securing additional military and humanitarian aid.
Zelensky also addressed the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to thank NATO member Norway for its latest energy aid package.
Ukraine dismantled its nuclear weapons in 1994.
Ukraine’s potential nuclear path represents a significant departure from its previous defense policy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world.
However, in 1994, Ukraine agreed to dismantle its nuclear weapons under the Budapest Memorandum in exchange for security guarantees from the West, including Russia.
Now, with ongoing Russian aggression and violations of that agreement, many in Ukraine are questioning whether it was a mistake to give up those weapons.
“Which of these great nuclear powers has suffered? Only Ukraine, who gave up nuclear weapons, only Ukraine, who is fighting today, only Ukraine. Either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons, which will be our protection, or we need to be in some alliance, and apart from NATO, we do not know any effective alliance today,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky warned at the Munich Security Conference in February 2022—just days before the war broke out—that if consultations with the signatories do not result in concrete security guarantees, Ukraine would consider the memorandum invalid.
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Source: Nova
Photo: AP/Tanjug