Ukraine may seek nuclear weapons if left out of NATO: Diplomat

Kyiv’s ambassador to Germany calls on the transatlantic security alliance to grant Ukraine long-sought membership.

A Ukrainian diplomat has reportedly warned Kyiv may be forced to acquire nuclear weapons to safeguard the country’s security if NATO does not accede to its membership demand amid spiralling tensions with neighbouring Russia. Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, suggested to national public radio network Deutschlandfunk on Thursday that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration was weighing up all possible options as fears mount over a possible escalation of hostilities in the country’s conflict-stricken east. “Either we are part of an alliance like NATO and also make our contribution to strengthen this Europe, or we have only one option; to rearm ourselves,” Germany’s DPA news agency quoted Melnyk as saying. “How else could we guarantee our defence?”