[Rockingham]

Ukraine DID have a nuclear capability at the end of the Cold War in the form of a substantial stockpile of formerly Soviet nuclear weapons on their territory. With substantial nuclear technical skills and resources, Ukraine could have kept those nuclear weapons as the basis for becoming a new nuclear power, but they instead relinquished them all, in part in return for a promise of US and NATO protection against Russia.

[MalPearce]

Correction: several accords written by Russia and signed by Khazakstan, Ukraine and Belarus (and witnessed and cosigned by the USA, UK) were to ensure that NO SIGNATORY would invade the ex Soviet states giving nukes to Russia.

The nukes weren’t Russian property. They were the property of the Soviet Union, stationed inside several Soviet republics.

Soviet Union assets left inside the republics at the end of the Cold War automatically became the property of the independent republics.

Who lacked the ability to deploy or maintain those nukes.

If Ukraine had wanted to it could’ve sold those nukes to China, North Korea, the UK or the USA. Khazakstan decided to keep it simple and just gave them to Russia, free of charge. It didn’t have to.

Ukraine’s solution was to demand a quid pro quo before handing its nukes to Russia.

Russia has been violating that quid pro quo on a daily basis since at least 2006.

[Openurmind]

“Ukraine DID have a nuclear capability at the end of the Cold War in the form of a substantial stockpile of formerly Soviet nuclear weapons on their territory. With substantial nuclear technical skills and resources, Ukraine could have kept those nuclear weapons as the basis for becoming a new nuclear power, but they instead relinquished them all, in part in return for a promise of US and NATO protection against Russia.”

Sure did... And it would have deterred this from happening. Then Clinton and Obama screwed them.

[caww]

Well NATO and it’s Allies are providing Ukraine with ‘unprecedented’ levels of support. But by law they are not required to do anything since Ukraine is not a Nato member.

The only reason Ukraine had Nuclear Weapons was because the newly-founded Ukraine ended up with the’ Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons’ in their territory after the Soviet Union collapsed......... .the agreement was between U.S.,U.K. and yes even Russia would guarantee Ukraine staying secure. But it was never Nato protection...... However, that was not a treaty -( it was no different than the Iran ‘Agreement”)....So, the next presidents can just no longer honor it. That’s exactly what Trump did with the Iran nuclear deal.

Zelensky and his yo yo’s thought and still think they can Force a full on Nato war with Russia. HE’s wrong and he’s very dangerous!