Ukraine uncapable of building nuclear weapons ‘now or in the future’ — expert

MOSCOW, October 18. /TASS/. Ukraine is unable to build nuclear weapons ‘now or in the future,’ Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the US-based Arms Control Association, told TASS on Friday.

Kimball was asked by TASS to comment on the recent publications that appeared in the Western mass media and cited Ukrainian officials as saying that Kiev could allegedly build nuclear weapons in a few weeks.

"Ukraine is a member in good standing with the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and is in no position to build nuclear weapons now or in the future," Kimball replied.

"Serious leaders understand that nuclear weapons are mass terror weapons not simply a bigger kind of bomb, and therefore nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought," he said.

"Consequently, nuclear weapons use and threats of to use nuclear weapons to repel mass attacks using conventional weapons <...> are extremely dangerous, disproportionate, illegal, and as the G-20 Group of Leaders said in 2022 and 2023, "inadmissible"," Kimball added.

Speaking earlier in the day at a meeting with the heads of leading BRICS media Russian President Vladimir Putin said that "This is yet another provocation."

"It is quite easy to build nuclear weapons in the modern world. I don't know whether Ukraine is capable of doing it now, as is not so easy in its current state. There is nothing too difficult. It is clear how to do it," the Russian president said.

Putin emphasized that Russia is able of tracing all Kiev’s movement aimed at obtaining nuclear weapons as well as any steps made towards their construction in Ukraine and they would be dealt with "an appropriate reaction."

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky told a news conference in Brussels on Thursday that Kiev having nuclear weapons is the only alternative to its NATO membership.

The Bild newspaper said later, citing a source, that Ukraine’s authorities are looking at rebuilding the country’s nuclear arsenals. After that, Zelensky said at a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Ukraine is not going to develop nuclear arms.