Zelenskyy: We have never said we were preparing to build nuclear weapons
Ukraine has never expressed intentions to create nuclear weapons, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, urging restraint from spreading such messages during a briefing with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
A journalist from the German agency DPA asked Zelenskyy how long it would take Ukraine to build a nuclear bomb.
"Sometimes we create problems for ourselves, and you're starting to do that now. We have never said we were preparing to build nuclear weapons," Zelenskyy responded.
He reminded that the Budapest Memorandum outlined Ukraine's relinquishment of nuclear arms in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, China, and the USA. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the conflict by occupying territories a decade ago. In this context, the only alternative for Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy, is joining NATO.
Meanwhile, on October 17, the German tabloid Bild published an article suggesting Ukraine may consider restoring its nuclear arsenal, unwilling to endure a second Russian attempt to seize Kyiv.
The piece by Julian Röpcke included a quote attributed to an unnamed Ukrainian official: "We have the material, we have the knowledge. If the order is given, we will only need a few weeks to have the first bomb."
Presidential advisor on communications, Dmytro Lytvyn, told LIGA.net, "There's nothing substantial to comment on here."
"Bild is becoming synonymous with disinformation comparable to Russian propaganda. It's unclear where they get this information and why they irresponsibly chase sensational headlines," he added.
