Can Ukraine make nuclear weapons?

The recent statement by president Zelenskyy created quite a stir — the Ukrainian president said that to ensure its secure existence, Ukraine has only 2 options: to create its own nuclear weapons or to become a member of NATO.

Which he hadn’t.

In 1993, Ukraine had 3rd largest nuclear arsenal in the world.

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A bit of stocktaking:

In addition, Ukraine owned thousands of tactical nukes.

A bit of history:

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If North Korea can do it, a former nuclear power that still has the scientists and engineers who built the Soviet nukes, can certainly do it.

State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety in Kyiv

He only said that to live in safety, Ukraine either needs membership in NATO — or nukes. And that Ukraine wants to be in NATO, to be safe.

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“That means, that is not a very good umbrella for our security,” pointed Zelenskyy — this is why Ukraine needs NATO.

However, when asked, “How long would it take for Ukraine to build a nuclear bomb?,” at the joint press conference in Brussels with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, President Zelenskyy downplayed the issue, stating effectively:

And Ukraine is the 10th largest Uranium producer on earth.

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There were 10 missile divisions with intercontinental nuclear missiles with a range of 11,000 km.

A number of nuclear research institutes involved in these projects are still operational in Ukraine, including:

After Zelenskyy’s speech yesterday, the Russian propaganda channels are absolutely hysterical, trying to prove — mouths foaming — that Ukraine is unable to build nuclear weapons.

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Ukraine had 1,272 nuclear warheads for intercontinental missiles.

Zelensky said that he only spoke about Ukraine giving up nukes under the Budapest memorandum, in exchange to security guarantees — and still, Russia invaded Ukraine twice in the last 10 years.

Ukraine surrendered its nuclear arsenal to Russia, on “security guarantees” from the U.S. and U.K. Russia, too, vouched to guarantee Ukraine’s sovereignty and security.

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Institute of Organic Chemistry

Before the USSR collapsed, Ukraine fully participated in the Soviet nuclear program.

“We have never said that we are preparing to create a nuclear weapon.”

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“But we don’t do nuclear weapons,” stated Zelenskyy, ending his answer, and asked the journalist who posed the question not to move” such messages.

And they aren’t telling us how long would it take Ukraine to make its own NW.

Institute of Nuclear Research

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Kharkiv Physics and Technology Institute

Institute of Condensed Matter Physics in Lviv.

But they say that they are not doing it.