MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. The West must give Ukraine nuclear weapons and deploy its troops on the country’s territory if it is not yet ready to grant NATO membership to Kiev, Vladimir Zelensky said.
In his words, due to the stance taken by some of Kiev’s partners, Ukraine’s road to NATO may take "years or decades."
"We do it the following way: Give us back nuclear arms. Give us missile systems. Partners, help us finance the 1 million[-strong] army. Move your contingent onto the parts of our state," he told UK journalist Piers Morgan in an interview.
Kiev has repeatedly stated its desire to become a full-fledged NATO member state. In September, 2022, Ukraine officially requested fast-tracked membership in the alliance. On January 16, Zelensky complained that Hungary, Germany, Slovakia and the United States currently oppose Ukraine’s NATO membership.
The Budapest Memorandum was signed by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States on December 5, 1994. Under it, Ukraine disposed of its nuclear arsenal, while Russia, the US and the UK issued security guarantees to Kiev, to be later joined by France and China.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February 2022, Zelensky speculated that Kiev may reconsider its obligations under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which stipulates that Ukraine rejects nuclear weapons in exchange for guarantees of security. Later, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the emergence of even tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine would pose a strategic threat for Russia.