MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. The Russian authorities cannot ignore the Kiev regime’s statements about Ukraine’s wish to acquire the nuclear status, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday.
"Now they have begun to talk [in Ukraine] about acquiring the nuclear status, i.e. acquiring nuclear weapons. We cannot ignore such things! Moreover, we know how the so-called West behaves towards Russia," he stressed.
As Putin explained, Ukraine has retained nuclear competences since the Soviet period. "As for enrichment and nuclear materials, they can organize this work," the Russian leader pointed out.
Kiev also possesses missile competences, Putin said.
"Take Yuzhmash alone: it participated in creating intercontinental ballistic missile technology for the Soviet Union. They will ramp up [capacities] and create [weapons]," the Russian president said.
"Moreover, those on the other side of the Ocean will help Ukraine do that," Putin explained.
"And then they will claim: we do not recognize the nuclear status as this has been done [by them] themselves. And they will place these systems under control. And from this second, from this very second, Russia’s fate will be quite different," the Russian leader said.
In this case, Russia’s strategic opponents do not even need to have intercontinental ballistic missiles, Putin elaborated.
"They will directly hold us at nuclear gunpoint here and that’s all. So, how can we pay no attention to all these things?" the Russian president said.
Ukraine’s future
As the Russian leader pointed out, "these are absolutely real threats, not some trifle, far-fetched things." "And our boys who are now fighting there and giving their lives - they are giving their lives and struggling for our future, for the future of our children," he stressed.
These are completely obvious things, Putin pointed out.
"And people who do not want to understand that, especially those from among the [Ukrainian] leadership must realize that if they continue doing what they are doing, they generally endanger the future of Ukraine’s statehood. And if this happens, this will be wholly and fully on their conscience," the Russian leader emphasized.