What If Ukraine Hadn't Given Up Its Nuclear Weapons?

[AProudLefty]

Russia's war with Ukraine has escalated into a "nuclear crisis," with far-reaching implications for nuclear deterrence, nonproliferation, disarmament, and the future of peaceful nuclear energy, a leading nuclear expert has warned, telling Newsweek that the conflict, now in its fourth year, might have been prevented had Ukraine retained its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal.

When Did Ukraine Give Up Its Nuclear Weapons?​

Ukraine inherited the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Approximately 30,000 nuclear weapons were spread across Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine, with Ukraine possessing nearly 1,900 strategic nuclear warheads and thousands of tactical nuclear weapons.

However, three years later, Kyiv chose to denuclearize, signing the Budapest Memorandum and transferring the weapons to Russia. In exchange, Ukraine was promised security assurances from Russia, the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

At the time, Ukraine's decision was widely welcomed, as it helped the country secure financial assistance from the West. But with Russia having openly violated the Budapest Memorandum—first by annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and by launching a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022—some now question whether Kyiv miscalculated the possible cost of disarmament.

What if Ukraine hadn't given up its nuclear weapons?

Ukraine surrendered its Soviet-era nuclear stockpile more than three decades ago and experts have questioned whether Kyiv miscalculated.

www.newsweek.com

This is an example of a broken promise.

Should we trust Putin to keep the promises again?

 

[Hawkeye10]

Ukraine never had nuclear weapons, they were legally Russias and Ukraine never had and never would get the codes needed to use them.....that they did have them has been a constant lie from the Imperial Empire.

 

[Walt]

Ukraine never had nuclear weapons, they were legally Russias and Ukraine never had and never would get the codes needed to use them.....that they did have them has been a constant lie from the Imperial Empire.

They belonged to the USSR, which no longer existed. There is no reason that Russia should inherit them instead of Ukraine.

 

[NiftyNiblick]

I'm 100% for giving Ukraine nuclear missiles right now.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

They belonged to the USSR, which no longer existed. There is no reason that Russia should inherit them instead of Ukraine.

I'd say they likely gave them up simply because they lacked the necessary means of servicing, delivering, and arming them at the time. Easier to hand them over than keep that dead weight in their inventory.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

I'm 100% for giving Ukraine nuclear missiles right now.

And, that proves you are 100% insane as well.

 

[Damocles]

Russia's war with Ukraine has escalated into a "nuclear crisis," with far-reaching implications for nuclear deterrence, nonproliferation, disarmament, and the future of peaceful nuclear energy, a leading nuclear expert has warned, telling Newsweek that the conflict, now in its fourth year, might have been prevented had Ukraine retained its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal.

When Did Ukraine Give Up Its Nuclear Weapons?​

Ukraine inherited the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Approximately 30,000 nuclear weapons were spread across Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine, with Ukraine possessing nearly 1,900 strategic nuclear warheads and thousands of tactical nuclear weapons.

However, three years later, Kyiv chose to denuclearize, signing the Budapest Memorandum and transferring the weapons to Russia. In exchange, Ukraine was promised security assurances from Russia, the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

At the time, Ukraine's decision was widely welcomed, as it helped the country secure financial assistance from the West. But with Russia having openly violated the Budapest Memorandum—first by annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and by launching a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022—some now question whether Kyiv miscalculated the possible cost of disarmament.

What if Ukraine hadn't given up its nuclear weapons?

Ukraine surrendered its Soviet-era nuclear stockpile more than three decades ago and experts have questioned whether Kyiv miscalculated.

www.newsweek.com

This is an example of a broken promise.

Should we trust Putin to keep the promises again?

I asked this back when it was happening... And when Putin first invaded Ukraine territory I brought it up and how Russia and we had promised we had interests in the area but still were not acting. But hey... It takes some others time to catch up.

One thing I find most vital is to reassure Ukraine that we actually have interests there... this is why the rare earth deal is important, it cements our interests there and gives the US a reason regardless of who is President to protect and act in behalf of our own interests in Ukraine, giving them far more security than any writing on a paper making a promise.

 

[Walt]

I'd say they likely gave them up simply because they lacked the necessary means of servicing, delivering, and arming them at the time. Easier to hand them over than keep that dead weight in their inventory.

It would have been expensive, and difficult. They probably could have done it, but it would have been difficult. It was even difficult for Russia, which had a larger percent of the infrastructure for keeping them.

 

[Walt]

this is why the rare earth deal is important

Putin has already made a deal, or thinks he has, to take care of that. He has said that his deal is to preserve foreign ownership, after he destroys Ukraine. That means the rare earth deal is near useless to Ukraine.

It does get trump to release the intelligence, and allow Ukraine to defend themselves, but for how long?

 

[AProudLefty]

I asked this back when it was happening... And when Putin first invaded Ukraine territory I brought it up and how Russia and we had promised we had interests in the area but still were not acting. But hey... It takes some others time to catch up.

One thing I find most vital is to reassure Ukraine that we actually have interests there... this is why the rare earth deal is important, it cements our interests there and gives the US a reason regardless of who is President to protect and act in behalf of our own interests in Ukraine, giving them far more security than any writing on a paper making a promise.

Think Putin will be pleased with that?

 

[T. A. Gardner]

It would have been expensive, and difficult. They probably could have done it, but it would have been difficult. It was even difficult for Russia, which had a larger percent of the infrastructure for keeping them.

Pre-war, Ukraine was littered with ex-Soviet military equipment in massive numbers that they couldn't even begin to keep in even marginally serviceable condition.

 

[Damocles]

Think Putin will be pleased with that?

Do you think I need to please Putin?

 

[AProudLefty]

Do you think I need to please Putin?

Not you. Trump.

 

[Damocles]

Not you. Trump.

I don't necessarily think he needs to please Putin either. Though I think getting a few NATO nations to say that Ukraine will not join NATO will probably be enough for Putin along with letting him sell oil to Europe without all these interruptions.

 

[Walt]

Pre-war, Ukraine was littered with ex-Soviet military equipment in massive numbers that they couldn't even begin to keep in even marginally serviceable condition.

Russia and Ukraine are still littered with ex-Soviet military equipment in massive numbers that they can't even begin to keep in even marginally serviceable condition. What is scary is that much of Russia's nuclear stockpile is not well maintained.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Russia and Ukraine are still littered with ex-Soviet military equipment in massive numbers that they can't even begin to keep in even marginally serviceable condition. What is scary is that much of Russia's nuclear stockpile is not well maintained.

At least Russia is finding that junk, cleaning it up some, giving it a coat of paint, and sending it off to be recycled in Ukraine...

 

[Walt]

At least Russia is finding that junk, cleaning it up some, giving it a coat of paint, and sending it off to be recycled in Ukraine...

We have learned that the majority of Russian tanks will never be usable.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

We have learned that the majority of Russian tanks will never be usable.

The Russians haven't. That's the power of vodka!