Ukraine and weapons of mass destruction

Russia will under no circumstances allow Ukraine to build nuclear weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, adding that his country is interested in putting an end to the war as soon as possible.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on October 17 that during his meeting with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in September, he conveyed the necessity for Ukraine to join NATO, or else it would seek to develop nuclear weapons for its defense, as per reports from the Kyiv Independent.

Russian forces have intensified their offensive near Vuhledar, reaching the outskirts of the strategic Ukrainian stronghold. Amid these developments, Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian ammunition depots, exposing vulnerabilities in Russia's military logistics.

NATO is considering putting more nuclear weapons on standby amid growing threats from Russia and China. Alliance head Jens Stoltenberg told "The Telegraph" that NATO must display its nuclear arsenal to send a clear signal to its adversaries. He revealed that consultations are ongoing among NATO members to remove missiles from storage and place them on alert.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has threatened Poland with the prospect of "radioactive ash" in response to comments by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski about the use of nuclear weapons. Sikorski had suggested to the British newspaper "Guardian" how the United States might react if Russia used nuclear weapons against Ukraine.