Zelensky to Trump: Ukraine will either join NATO or have nuclear weapons
17.10.24
In September, Zelensky met with Trump
In particular, Trump agreed with Zelensky's arguments regarding why Ukraine chooses the Alliance over nuclear weapons.
"For its own security, Ukraine must either become a member of NATO or must have nuclear weapons. "President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about this with US presidential candidate Donald Trump during their meeting in September.
Thus, speaking today at a press conference in Brussels, Zelensky told how he spoke with Donald Trump about NATO using the example of the Budapest Memorandum, when Ukraine renounced nuclear weapons.
"It seems to me that this is a clear example. Ukraine had the Budapest Memorandum. There were nuclear states there. The largest states in the world that have influence, have nuclear weapons. Among these, of course, were the United States of America, China, Russia, France. Undoubtedly major players that have nuclear potential," Zelensky said.
Пресконференція Президента України Володимира Зеленського за підсумками участі в засіданні Європейської ради.
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We never said that we wanted to create nuclear weapons, - Zelensky
20:10, 17.10.24
The President explained what he meant by the Budapest Memorandum
Zelensky also said that an invitation to NATO would strengthen Ukraine diplomatically and bring a just peace closer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured that Ukraine never said that it wanted to create nuclear weapons. He made this statement during a joint briefing with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The President explained that he was talking about the Budapest Memorandum, when Ukraine renounced nuclear weapons, but did not receive the promised security guarantees in return.
"I spoke about the Budapest Memorandum, which states that Ukraine receives security guarantees. But this is not an umbrella and we have no options other than NATO. We do not build nuclear weapons," he added.