Ukraine President Zelensky says that Ukraine will go back to having nuclear weapons like they did before 1994 unless the US lives to the guarantees of protection made in the Budapest Memo. Ukraine had 1000 soviet nuclear weapons. What did Ukraine keep that would short cut a return to being a nuclear power. Even with bombers, nuclear weapons can be delivered by other means if one side chose it as means of all out fighting.
Since 2014, Ukraine has tried three times to convene consultations with the guarantor states of the Budapest Memorandum. Three times without success. Today Ukraine will do it for the fourth time. I, as President, will do this for the first time. But both Ukraine and I are doing this for the last time. I am initiating consultations in the framework of the Budapest Memorandum. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was commissioned to convene them. If they do not happen again or their results do not guarantee security for our country, Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt.
Ukraine intends to develop its own nuclear weapons, and it is not an empty bravado. Ukraine indeed has Soviet nuclear technologies and delivery systems for such weapons, including aviation and Tochka-U tactical missiles, developed back in the Soviet; their range is over 100 km, but they will develop even longer-range ones, it is only a matter of time. There is groundwork from Soviet era.
SOURCES – Kyiv Independent
Written by Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com
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IMO, any country that gives up their nuclear weapons without ironclad guarantees of security (like NATO membership, but even then) is foolish. NOBODY attacks a nuclear armed country, nobody in their right minds anyway. It has historically been the guarantor of security against aggressive adversaries. If Taiwan had nukes, China would not even consider invading. If Iraq had nuclear weapons, the US would never have gone there. Seems to me that, regardless of the proliferation threat, the most sure way to project NATO level security around the world is for every country to have nuclear weapons and competent delivery systems. It would mean the end of nation state war.
That being said, also IMO nuclear weapons are about to be made obsolete by directed energy weapons, power generation and modern target acquisition systems. Hypervelocity missiles still leave a couple minutes after popping up over the horizon to shoot them down. Stealth will help, but once the stealth missile gets close enough to achieve lock from IR or radar/lidar it will not last long. Nuclear weapons can be delivered by ship, rail or tractor trailer but needless to say not very efficient. This leaves some interesting questions about balance of power in the world over the next 50 years.
Taiwan is part of China it is not an independent country. Russia said time and time again that Ukraine joining NATO is a red line and wanted guarantees that would be the case. So America has now cost Ukrainians 1000s of lives while at the same saying well maybe sometime in the future you can join NATO. Ukraine will loose this war the east and south of the country purely on an American fantasy of destabilising RussiaThey are now stirring it up in Taiwan and Kosovo . It is not Russia and China that are the threat to world peace it is the USA. Biden was told that Pelosis visit was not welcome and if you play with fire expect to get burned. America is beginning to look like a pariah state with a senile president and a grossly incompetent and amateurish state department. Guess what poking the dragon that has military economic and nuclear clout is not very bright. China can survive a blockade by America it can get its raw material from Russia. Americas economy would collapse if China stops trading with the USA.
If the US (and the UK) continues its approbation of the Budapest Memorandum, then any security guarantees given to other nations is no stronger than the paper it's written on. Which was well understood, but previously not demonstrated. There was some wiggle room with Crimea as Russia had been functionally operating it as the base of the Black Sea fleet (not so different from Guantanamo), but that doesn't apply elsewhere in Ukraine.
The ugly part though is that if the UK goes in, it drags NATO in with it. If the US goes, it drags NATO into it. Either would be basing from Poland, so it drags Poland into it. NATO showing up is going to put Putin on edge. Which may accelerate the use of anti-civilian weapons like thermobarics to break the will of the Ukrainian people, as getting them to surrender would be an "off-ramp" from further escalation.
Brian,
Unfortunately that's not accurate, Zelensky did not say that.
He said:
[…] Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt.
I read it as:
US, UK and Russia gave security assurances, like territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russia broke that agreement and now Ukraine has right to believe US and UK breaks it too. This means Ukraine is on their own and it is a warning sign for other nations that rely on US or UK's assurances.
Nuke Chernobyl? It's already a radioactive exclusion zone, and currently used as a Russian staging area.
What way are the winds blowing right now?
Yes,but who wouldn't praise Putin? He is smart to take advantage of such weak adversaries,he would never try the unit Trump,I voted for Joe,what a mistake, we need impeachments as soon as the next election, then we need retribution.
Trump was so clumsy but h always saw the root of the problem, it isn't Russia,its Germany ,they are pro Russian,the country shouldn't exist, even th Russians use nuclear power while Germany uses coal. Russian coal of course.
Germans changed their policy and are sending anti tank weapons to urkraine,but if they don't get their tanks up to meet the Russians they are worthless.
Any country that wouldn't use nuclear weapons has no business existing,th strong take over from the weak.
But lets not have them stop with Urkraine put all of Europe in concentration camps, they love dictators and have no tradition of democracy.
Our despicable president put us under nuclear threat, any time a leader is frightened of his own shadow the people suffer, the Germans and French are not worth protecting,let the Russians have them or divide their territory among Poland and others,they did nothing to aid their fellow Europeans,throw them out of NATO.
We have met the enemy and he is us, shameful to be an American under Biden.
so what?? Bidet called Putin a criminal. most definitely contributed to this escalation…
If they're sane, they wouldn't use a nuke on their own territory or fire one at Russia. But a 'demonstration' – one going off somewhere out to sea that they tell Russia about a bit in advance? Maybe.
You forgot England, France, China, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Israel, and North Korea. Granted, some of those had assistance from other powers, but all have or had an independent capacity to make warheads on their own.
They can probably develop their own.
According to poles, most South Koreans are interested too. I wonder how long it will take for Japan to get on board.
"Neurotics are capable of doing anything." -Arthur Janov
"Our soldiers are successfully fulfilling the task of protecting our people and our Fatherland,"-Pootie Poo
Don't like Trump but everyone can admit that Putin is just taking what the US is giving him,Putin would never attempt this with trump in office,I voted for the wrong man.
I've never seen this in the history of man a leader so corrupt and inept as sleepy joe.
No,Taiwan doesn't even need the US to defend their island China isn't stupid enough to try something, they have time. But our foes would be wise to attack us everywhere while we have this traitor in office.
No country can trust the US when run by democrats.
A troop of sheep led by a lion will always defat a troop of lions led by a sheep,unfortunatly the US elected Biden who doesn't have the courage of a sheep.
Shameful w don't liv up to our promise,same thing for UK,they could have stopped the Russians them selves.
No need to stay in NATO,Germany and France are worthless,give them to Vlad,protect the rest.
Biden won't protect Delaware. A good leader would give Urkraine 100 tactical nukes, but we don't have one, he's scared of his shadow.
It's true, Poland sent tens of trucks with ammo. There are pictures
I hope this is true
It's not about Ukraine or Taiwan…Iran is in on this too. It's about Iran, Russia and China forming their own Alliance and controlling the World and wiping out Israel. Biden is going to pardon Iran, who will supply oil to Russia and China, and all of the "so-called sanctions won't be a problem for Russia at all. This is their plan to control the entire World. If Donald Trump had still been in office, this would never have happened. Biden set this plan up after the shut-down of the Keystone Pipeline. We were the largest oil producer in the world . Now look what we are paying at the pumps. I hope you folks who thought Trump was not fit to be President, see what a weak leader we are now stuck with for 3 more scary years. Do you really believe you are better off no?? Go to WIONews. They get their news 4 days before I do. Pray for peace ️ ️
Any country, any nation, any group, any citizen that entertains a winning of anything in a nuclear exchange lives in a fairytale illusion created by madmen.
Taiwan is China's territory and business. Mind your own business mr warmonger.
It's ridiculous reading stuff like that, risking potential 3rd world war for some tiny island with 25m chinese, which 99,999% Americans don't know nothing about, not even capital city name of this province.
On the other hand, to be clear, I do not support this weird clown Putin and Ukraine invasion. Hope that Russia collapses after tons of sanctions, Putin will end up in prison or…
Poland and basically all EU countries should have at least few nukes per country.
Well, if they have a couple of old Soviet tactical nukes and some transportation … they can party in Moscow tonight! It is a war you know.
Good to know that people don't do things that are totally insane! 😉
I do agree with you in this case.
When Ukraine gave up their Nukes it was with the Guarantee by Bill Clinton that the USA would guarantee their borders.
I bet they feel stupid now.
Did you see where the UK and other European countries are on their way to the border of Russia , loaded with ammo!
Given the talks of a China getting a bit brave in invading Taiwan with this whole Ukraine issue, I think it's past time the US hands that island a few nukes as insurance.
Ukraine never was able to utilize nukes. Only 2 countries in the world do thst its russia and the usa . Ukraine was never in the building a nuke warhead. They specialized on delivery methods ie icbm. The warheads were always designed in ural mountains ….zelenskiy needs to go to school
Mostly short range delivery systems in hand then. Just enough to irradiate their immediate neighborhood. They may want to reconsider any future decisions, policy and actions.
The speech was on the 19th.
That speech was on the 19th. I think it’s safe to say their plans have changed since then.
It’s a very sad situation for them.
Don't threat US about nuclear weapons. They surely will let Russia do the dirty job for them.
Almost certainly not. Smuggling a nuke into the capitol of another country is the sort of high risk gambit that would have had even the West agreeing that Russia could property take out Ukraine, if they'd been caught at it.
I meant, already.
In this case, the proposed deal is living up to our prior commitment to protect them, in return for NOT having another country have nuclear weapons.
They weren't required to turn over delivery systems, just nukes. Not much question they have the means to get one there.
Did they hide them in Moscow?
If they can actually pull off a nuclear breakout on a time frame that's any use at all under the present circumstances, it means that they hid away a few of those nukes instead of handing them over.
Which, frankly, would have been the only sane thing to have done, since Russia could not be trusted at all, and nothing about our own history would cause you to rely on us.
My conclusion is that this isn't really a threat to develop nukes. It's a veiled threat to use nukes they already have.
US will never trade a little political influence for the risk of a new nuclear threat. Let Ukraine under Russia control is a far better option for US.
The Battle of Kiev starts tomorrow. They are really short on time.
Unless they have nukes now. Let's recall they were a nuclear state, which relinquished its nukes in exchange of vains promises of protection from the international powers of the day.
I'm confused…he's acting like they have time, Russia is literally marching towards their capitol.
This Ultimatum is empty.