Kremlin decries anonymous proposals to arm Ukraine with nuclear weapons

The idea of supplying nuclear weapons to Kyiv stems from an "extremely extremist flank," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated during a briefing.

"Even the most provocative line aimed at escalating tensions has such an extreme extremist flank. Here, probably, such a point of view belongs to this extreme extremist flank," Peskov remarked, Caliber.Az cites his words quoted by Russian media.

He criticized the suggestion as "absolutely irresponsible reasoning" from individuals with "little understanding of reality" and pointed out that such proposals are often made anonymously.

The comments came after The New York Times reported that some US and European officials had floated the idea of Ukraine regaining nuclear weapons it relinquished following the Soviet Union’s collapse. The proposal emerged during discussions about potential security guarantees Western allies might extend to Kyiv.

While US officials have acknowledged that faster arms deliveries might not immediately shift the battlefield situation, they argue it could bolster Ukraine’s position in any future ceasefire negotiations. Among the discussed guarantees is the concept of "deterrence," which could involve deploying significant conventional weaponry in Ukraine. Some officials even proposed restoring Ukraine's nuclear arsenal, although the NYT noted that this option would pose substantial logistical and geopolitical risks, potentially triggering severe consequences.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also addressed the nuclear weapons issue. During an October 17 press conference in Brussels, Zelenskyy suggested that nuclear armament might be the only viable alternative to NATO membership. He revealed having discussed this in September with Donald Trump, who later won the US presidential election.

On November 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree updating Russia’s nuclear doctrine. The revised document maintains that nuclear weapons are a last resort for defending national sovereignty but introduces new criteria for their use in response to emerging military threats. This replaces the 2020 doctrine, itself an update of a decade-old framework.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has intensified preparations for potential nuclear threats. A delegation of 10 Ukrainian soldiers and 10 Security Service members recently completed advanced nuclear forensics training at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The program focused on post-detonation analysis, equipping participants to collect and analyze nuclear debris to trace the origin of materials used in an attack.

By Tamilla Hasanova