On Tuesday, the Kremlin responded to a recent report from The New York Times that said US and European officials had discussed the idea of giving Ukraine nuclear weapons, calling the talk “absolutely irresponsible.”
The report cited anonymous sources and said several officials suggested the idea while they were discussing steps to deter Russia but noted arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons would be “complicated and have serious implications.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the idea of sending nukes to Ukraine probably came from a “fringe extremist flank” among Ukraine’s Western backers. He said the talk was “absolutely irresponsible deliberations by people, who probably have a poor understanding… of reality, and who do not feel a shred of responsibility” for potential consequences.
The Times report said that President Biden could “return nuclear weapons to Ukraine that were taken from it after the fall of the Soviet Union.” After the Cold War, Ukraine agreed to transfer Soviet nuclear weapons that were left in its territory to Russia.
Some US lawmakers responded to the report, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). “If true this is treasonous. That would’ve caused WWIII if Biden sent nukes to Ukraine,” he wrote on X. “The presidency has too much power if it can unilaterally make a non-emergency decision that’s tantamount to an act of war.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) also responded in a post on X, writing, “This is INSANE and completely unconstitutional, possibly an act of treason. This must be stopped immediately!! Is the Biden admin trying to start a nuclear war and use it as the reason to stop the transfer of power to Trump?”
The report came amid soaring tensions following the US authorization for Ukraine to launch long-range strikes on Russian territory using US and other Western missiles. Peskov said Russia was concerned that the “outgoing administration in Washington continues to pursue… further escalation.”
