Ukraine won’t be able to develop an independent nuclear deterrent – Danilov
Kyiv does not have the capacity to develop
and produce nuclear
weapons on its own in foreseeable future, although hosting allied nuclear
arsenal could be a part of future security guarantees, Ukraine’s National
Security and Defense Council (NSDC) secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, told Ukrainian
TV broadcasters on Aug. 4.
Danilov commented on the possibility of Ukraine getting access to a nuclear deterrent “in some form” as part of long-term international security guarantees.
“As for the arsenal that we had confiscated (after the dissolution of the Soviet Union), let's be realistic – it is unlikely to be possible at all (to restore it),” he said.
“And not just for political reasons, but also for technological ones.”
The official emphasized that Soviet-era intercontinental missiles, which were previously stationed in Ukraine, are "a complex matter," suggesting that having an independent nuclear weapons program is not a realistic option.
He noted that there are countries that do not possess nuclear weapons themselves, but they are provided with them "upon invitation" by some of their allies.
"Whether this will work in our case – I cannot tell you right now, because it is a complex, responsible, and difficult task," he concluded.
Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki previously announced that his country wants to host nuclear weapons on its territory under NATO’s Nuclear Sharing program.
Nuclear Sharing is a NATO program that is part of the Alliance's nuclear deterrence policy. Under this program, NATO countries provide nuclear warheads to other states that do not possess their own nuclear weapons. Since November 2009, U.S. nuclear weapons have been stationed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey as part of the program.
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