US reiterates that it has no plans to return nuclear weapons to Ukraine

Jake Sullivan. Source: Reuters

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says Joe Biden's administration is not considering providing Ukraine with nuclear weapons.

Here's What We Know

Sullivan denied allegations that the administration is open to returning nuclear weapons to Ukraine.

"This is not under consideration. What we are doing is deploying various conventional weapons to Ukraine so that they can effectively defend themselves and fight the Russians, but not with nuclear capabilities," Sullivan said.

Recently, several global media outlets have reported that Ukraine is allegedly planning to develop its own nuclear weapons. In October, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs already denied similar claims published by the German tabloid Bild. And in November, Ukraine again denied similar allegations made by the British newspaper The Times.

At the same time, the Ukrainian military and Security Service of Ukraine recently completed a training course in the United States on collecting debris for nuclear forensics. The training was a response to nuclear threats from Russia.

As a reminder, the Budapest Memorandum was signed on 5 December 1994. This document stipulated that the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States, as signatories, acted as guarantors of Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. In exchange, Ukraine was to give up nuclear weapons. In June 1996, Ukraine fully fulfilled its obligations: all nuclear warheads were transferred to Russia for destruction, and classified strategic bases were converted to non-military use.

Source: ABC