Zelenskyy Asks US To Provide Ukraine With Nuclear Weapons
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that the United States should provide Ukraine with alternative security guarantees, including nuclear weapons if the country is not admitted to the NATO military alliance.
In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, Zelensky questioned the nature of Western military support in a war that is believed to have killed and injured more than 1 million people, most of them soldiers whose lives had just begun.
“What kind of support package, what kind of missiles? Are they [the United States] going to give us nuclear weapons? Then let them give us nuclear weapons.”
Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine’s NATO membership could be delayed for “years or even decades,” raising concerns about how the country would defend itself.
While Western nations could supply Ukraine with missiles to deter Russia, he noted their ability to stop Russian nuclear weapons remains “a rhetorical question.”
President Zelenskyy also criticized Russia’s reasoning for launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, calling it contradictory.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin invaded because he was afraid we would become a NATO member. Well, we are not a NATO member. Get out of our country,” Zelensky stressed.
STRONG SECURITY GUARANTEES
And, he renewed criticism of Ukraine’s decision in the 1990s to give up its nuclear weapons without securing “strong security guarantees” in return.
Russia’s ongoing invasion has prompted a debate over whether Ukraine should develop nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
Yet, Kyiv hastens to add that it views NATO membership as its ultimate security guarantee.
Talks about what Americans call “peace through strength” come as military losses are mounting on both sides: In a rare admission, President Zelenskyy said Ukraine has lost at least “45,100 soldiers” since Russia’s full-scale invasion began three years ago.
Speaking with Morgan, Zelenskyy also revealed that 390,000 Ukrainian soldiers were wounded, although the actual number is lower “due to some troops sustaining multiple injuries.”
He noted that half of the wounded soldiers returned to the front lines. However, he admitted that the number of Ukrainian soldiers currently held as prisoners of war or listed as missing remains unclear.
Zelensky also offered estimates on Russia’s battlefield losses, claiming that Moscow suffered 350,000 troop deaths and between 600,000 and 700,000 wounded.
MANY RUSSIANS KILLED
Other Ukrainian estimates suggest Russia may have lost up to 842,930 soldiers, while British intelligence warned Russian losses could exceed one million by May.
There was no immediate reaction from Moscow.
Moscow has also reportedly deployed foreign mercenaries, including North Korean troops, to minimize civilian casualties in Russia. While reports suggested North Korean soldiers had recently been pulled from the front lines, Ukraine has denied these claims.
Amid a mounting death toll, Zelenskyy suggested he was prepared for a potential dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Kremlin called them “empty words.”
During his interview, Zelensky called Putin a “murderer and a terrorist” but added that he would be willing to negotiate “a compromise for Ukraine and the civilized world” under proper conditions.
The Kremlin dismissed the offer, recalling that Zelensky signed a law in 2022 banning any negotiations with Putin.
Moscow also accused Zelenskyy of ruling under martial law and postponing elections, which “undermines” the legitimacy as Ukraine’s leader.
MOSCOW’S ‘INTENSIFIED CONTACTS’
Despite these accusations, the Kremlin insisted that Russia remains open to negotiations, adding that “intensified contacts” have recently occurred between American and Russian officials,
A Kremlin spokesperson declined to comment on whether a meeting between Putin and Donald J. Trump was planned.
That has added to concerns that the war will not end within the 24 hours that Trump promised during his presidential reelection campaign.
With clashes ongoing, Ukrainian forces are turning to shotguns as a low-tech solution to combat the growing drone threat on the battlefield, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly using hunting shotguns, which release a spread of pellets, making it easier to hit moving targets in the air.
Footage has surfaced showing Ukrainian troops shooting down drones from trenches, as well as shotguns, mounted onto drones themselves, allowing them to take out enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) mid-flight.
Military observers said the adaptation highlights Ukraine’s “resourcefulness” in countering Russia’s increasing reliance on drones, a key component of modern warfare.
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