Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded nuclear weapons on Tuesday as an alternative to Ukraine’s NATO membership. Speaking in an upcoming interview, which was teased by British journalist Piers Morgan on X, Zelenskyy questioned what protections Ukraine would receive if NATO membership took years to achieve. He suggested that nuclear weapons could serve as a solution to Ukraine’s security concerns amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Zelenskyy’s comments came as he linked Ukraine’s NATO membership to the return of lost territories, claiming that Russia’s military operation was designed to prevent Ukraine from joining the alliance. However, Russia has never stated that blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership was the sole goal of its military actions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently framed the crisis as a multi-faceted operation aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine, preventing the creation of an anti-Russian enclave, and protecting the civilian population of Donbass.
In contrast, Putin has made clear that the key conditions for a peace settlement include Ukraine’s commitment to remain nuclear-free and its refusal to pursue NATO membership, a stance reinforced during his remarks in June regarding the war’s long-term objectives.
