Nuclear Turmoil in Brussels: A Wake-Up Call for the World

On October 17, President Zelenskyy, speaking at a press conference in Brussels, made a clear and seemingly straightforward statement: Ukraine has never aimed to create its own nuclear bomb. Yet, in the age of disinformation and conspiracy theories, even the simplest declarations can spiral out of control. Almost immediately, the narrative shifted. Zelenskyy, in the eyes of conspiracy theorists, now "carried a nuclear warhead in each pocket."

It didn’t take long for media outlets to pounce. Germany’s Bild rushed in with its own "sources," claiming Ukraine could develop a nuclear bomb in just two weeks. Russian propaganda, of course, saw an opportunity to muddy the waters even further, asserting that Ukraine already had a bomb. And, to stir the pot, Poland’s Foreign Minister — who had previously suggested providing Ukraine with nuclear weapons for self-defense — added fuel to the fire. Then came the clincher: an old interview with former Russian Prime Minister Poltoranin resurfaced, in which he alleged that Ukraine had 173 unaccounted-for nuclear warheads left over from Soviet times.

Russian state TV leapt at the chance to twist this into a narrative of “Ukrainian nuclear blackmail.” In reality, however, these baseless claims were nothing more than a smokescreen to distract from Russia’s own nuclear threat hanging over Europe and the U.S.

But what President Zelenskyy actually said in Brussels carried far more weight. He reminded the world that among all the nuclear powers who signed the Budapest Memorandum, only Ukraine is now fighting, losing lives, and sacrificing territory. And Ukraine’s choice is clear: either build its own nuclear weapons or secure NATO membership. The President decisively stated that Ukraine had chosen NATO.

The hypothetical question of Ukrainian nuclear weapons is not new. After all, Ukraine holds the sixth-largest reserves of uranium globally and once produced the powerful "Satan" missiles, each capable of carrying 10 nuclear warheads. Is Ukraine capable of restoring these technological chains? Do we have the expertise? I don’t know for certain. But if Western hesitation over NATO membership drags on, it’s not entirely far-fetched that Zelenskyy may one day echo Golda Meir’s words: “Firstly, we do not have nuclear weapons, and secondly, if necessary, we will use them.”

In this nuclear dance of shadows and mirrors, one thing remains crystal clear: Ukraine has made its choice. The West must now make its own.

Glory to Ukraine!