President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a conversation with US presidential candidate Donald Trump, emphasized the importance of Ukraine's accession to NATO, noting that the agreements of the Budapest Memorandum "did not work." The Ukrainian leader said this at a briefing in Brussels on October 17.
Points of attention
- President Zelensky emphasizes Ukraine's commitment to NATO membership as a crucial step for security and stability.
- Discussions on Ukraine's nuclear arsenal reignited by a German tabloid's claims are refuted by Ukrainian officials.
- Zelensky clarifies that Ukraine is not preparing to build nuclear weapons but seeks security through NATO membership.
- The Budapest Memorandum's failure to protect Ukraine's sovereignty highlights the country's need for reliable alliances.
- Ukraine stresses the importance of upholding international agreements and sovereignty within recognized borders.
Zelensky gave an answer regarding the restoration of Ukraine's nuclear arsenal
I can give you an example of my conversation about NATO. I talked about it with Trump. I gave the example of the Budapest memorandum, this is a clear example.
According to him, he reminded the former head of the White House that the document was signed in particular by the States and the Russian Federation, but in the end, almost everyone violated the agreement, and the memorandum itself did not work.
The condition for Ukraine was to give up nuclear weapons, and for this the signatories guaranteed Ukraine sovereignty within the internationally recognized borders of 1991. And how can you trust all the partners who guaranteed the preservation of our territorial integrity. All these arrangements did not work. ... And it turns out like this, what is our solution: either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons, or we must have some kind of alliance.
Volodymyr Zelensky
President of Ukraine
Zelensky emphasized that Kyiv "knows no more effective alliances" besides NATO, which is why Ukraine chooses it.
As the Ukrainian president noted, Trump noted that Ukraine's arguments regarding joining the North Atlantic Alliance are valid.
At the same time, Zelensky emphasized that inviting Ukraine to become a member of NATO is not a violation of "red lines", but a preventive step towards the expansion of aggression beyond the state's borders.
Bild wrote about Ukraine's ability to restore its nuclear arsenal
The German tabloid Bild wrote that Ukraine allegedly has the necessary materials and knowledge to restore its nuclear arsenal in a few weeks. This is how Bild reacted to President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement that Ukraine currently has only two options: either it will have nuclear weapons, or it must have some kind of alliance.
The tabloid cites open data analysis expert Julian Röpke, who called Zelensky's statement a "blow" and a "shock" for Western journalists. The analyst considered the president's words as Ukraine's readiness to restore the nuclear arsenal, which the country voluntarily gave up in the 1990s.
Bild also quotes an anonymous Ukrainian official as allegedly saying the following:
We have materials, we have knowledge. If there is an order, it will only take us a few weeks to get the first bomb.
The OP, commenting on the publication of the German tabloid, stated that it had nothing to do with reality.
Yes, it is not the first time that Bild spreads something that has no relation to reality, but very much plays along with Russian propaganda, — said Dmytro Lytvyn, adviser to the president of Ukraine on communication, in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine.
Zelensky's reaction to Bild's statements
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has already reacted to such an accusation by the German newspaper Bild.
We never said that we were preparing to create nuclear weapons.
He recalled that as part of the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine had to receive security guarantees from "highly respected countries" after it surrendered its nuclear arsenal.
But this is not a good defense for us. Therefore, there is no alternative for us, except membership in NATO. This is our signal. But we are not building nuclear weapons, don't replace the messages.
