Former Ukrainian President reveals nuclear arsenal had to be destroyed because of US sanctions threat
(Baonghean.vn) - According to Russia's TASS news agency on August 21, former Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk, in an interview with the country's 24 TV channel, said that Ukraine had to give up its nuclear weapons to comply with the demands of Western countries.
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| Leonid Kravchuk. Photo: TASS |
“We were given a challenge – either we put down our nuclear weapons, or they were going to put economic pressure on us, including sanctions,” the former president said.
Kravchuk stressed that Western countries do not want to lose control of nuclear weapons and therefore exert economic pressure on Ukraine. He added that he has no regrets about agreeing to destroy his country's nuclear arsenal.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine possessed an impressive nuclear capability. However, its nuclear arsenal was destroyed in 1994 after it joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).