Kremlin Says President Zelensky's Desire For Nuclear Weapons Supply Is Approaching

Dmitry Peskov. (Wikimedia Commons/kremlin.ru)

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement on the provision of nuclear weapons for Ukraine would be sufficient to defend itself from Russia "close to madness."

"Overall, the statement and all similar statements are close to madness. There is a nuclear non-proliferation regime and so on," Peskov said, launching TASS on February 5.

As previously reported, President Zelensky on Tuesday said the West should provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine, deploy its troops in the country's territory, if it is not ready to give the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership to Kyiv.

"What will protect us from this crime so far?" President Zelensky asked British journalist Piers Morgan in an interview broadcast on Morgan's YouTube channel.

"What kind of support? Which missile? Will we be given nuclear weapons? If so, let them give us nuclear weapons. Will they give us enough missiles to stop Russia? I'm not sure about that," he said.

It is known that Ukraine is a party to the Budapest Memorandum which was signed with the leaders of Britain, Russia and the United States on December 5, 1994.

Based on the memorandum, Ukraine removed its nuclear arsenal, while Russia, the US and Britain issued security guarantees to Kyiv, which France and China followed.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February 2022, President Zelensky speculates Kyiv could reconsider his obligations based on the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which stipulates Ukraine rejects nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees.

Russian President Vladimir Putin then responded that the emergence of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine would pose a strategic threat to Russia.