With the nations on which Ukraine relies for life saving military support being so susceptible to Russia’s disinformation factory, the fate of 40,000,000 people in the most resource rich nation in Europe has become a mere political football and with military support for Ukraine among western allies tending to ebb and flow with the tidal push and pull of the Putin regime’s propaganda efforts, complete self reliance is increasingly perceived as the only long term solution.
A recent survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, released on December 23, reveals that approximately 73% of Ukrainians support the idea of Ukraine reestablishing its nuclear weapons arsenal. This sentiment emerges nearly 30 years after Ukraine relinquished its Soviet-era nuclear stockpile under the Budapest Memorandum, which provided international security assurances in return.
Notably, about half of the respondents expressed willingness to pursue nuclear armament even if it results in the loss of Western aid and the imposition of sanctions. Despite these public opinions, Ukrainian officials maintain their commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and continue to advocate for NATO membership as the preferred security guarantee.
The institute’s executive director, Anton Hrushetskyi, commented on the findings, stating that while nuclear weapons are considered an option by many Ukrainians, there is hope that Western allies will provide effective security guarantees, eliminating the need for Ukraine to explore such measures.
The survey, conducted between December 2 and 17, included 2,000 participants from Ukrainian-controlled territories. In contrast to current sentiments, only about one-third of Ukrainians supported retaining a nuclear arsenal back in 1994.
As Putin hands out nuclear tech like candy to anyone willing to join his war on the west (Belarus, North Korea, Iran), Ukraine’s allies neither want to fully arm Ukraine nor hand back its nukes, leaving little choice and likely no longer a choice that the West will have any say in at all.