Ukraine's Nuclear Plans: A Media Mix-Up?

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has shot down a report by German tabloid BILD, which claimed that Ukraine is planning to build nuclear weapons. The ministry's spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, insisted that Ukraine is committed to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, where it agreed to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from the US, UK, and Russia. Tykhyi pointed out that Ukraine has been a key player in promoting international peace and nuclear non-proliferation. However, he accused Russia of nuclear blackmail amid its invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons if other countries interfere in the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also dismissed the report during a press conference at the European Council summit in Brussels. He stated that Ukraine's strongest security guarantee is NATO membership. Earlier, he had suggested that Ukraine might pursue nuclear weapons if it didn't receive stronger security assurances. However, he later clarified that Ukraine is not building nuclear weapons. Dmytro Lytvyn, the presidential communications advisor, criticized BILD for spreading false information that aligns with Russian propaganda. Meanwhile, NATO has expressed support for Ukraine's future membership, but hasn't endorsed its request for an accelerated application.

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