International expert Kapitonenko explains why Ukraine has no chance to restore nuclear capability

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel

"Ukraine got rid of nuclear weapons under joint international pressure. We had no other alternative. It was a common position of the United States, Russia and other nuclear countries that wanted to slow down the process of nuclear proliferation at any cost. It was important for them that Ukraine get rid of nuclear weapons and join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the circumstances have changed today, it is impossible to reverse this decision," Kapitonenko explained.

The expert believes that even if the nuclear potential is restored, Ukraine will not be able to use it effectively

"Today, international security continues to be based on the fact that the number of nuclear-armed states is limited. States that try to make nuclear weapons face risks. Ukraine is in a much weaker position today than it was in the 90s. If in the 1990s we lost our nuclear arsenal, today we have no chance of regaining our nuclear arsenal, also taking into account Ukraine's dependence on Western countries. If we hypothetically imagine that Ukraine restores its nuclear potential, what should we do with it? Because if this happens, we will not have many such weapons. Russia is the country with the largest number of such charges. Therefore, we cannot even threaten Russia with such weapons," he added.

• On March 16, Western intelligence officially confirmed for the first time that Russian tactical nuclear weapons had been deployed to Belarus