BRUSSELS, October 17. /TASS/. If Ukraine cannot get into NATO, its only option will be to arm itself with nuclear weapons, President Vladimir Zelensky said.
"What is the solution? Either Ukraine gets nuclear weapons or we must joint some alliance. We do not know any viable alliances except NATO today," he said during a press conference after his speech at the EU Summit.
"Who gave up their nuclear weapons? Was it everyone? No, only Ukraine did. Who’s fighting today? Ukraine," he added.
He said that he raised this issue during his meeting with US ex-President Donald Trump in September.
Previously, the Associated Press reported that Zelensky gave his allies three months to approve the key points of his ‘plan.’ The news agency did not specify what Kiev intends to do if the West rejects its 'plan.'
Zelensky had already raised the issue of Ukraine obtaining nuclear weapons on February 15, 2022, several days before the beginning of the special military operation. Back then, he speculated that Kiev might reconsider its obligations under the Budapest memorandum, which involved Ukraine relinquishing its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees.