Russia accuses Ukraine of seeking to acquire nuclear weapon with help from UK and France

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by ReutersFebruary 24, 2026 at 07:14 PM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service accused Ukraine on Tuesday of attempting to acquire nuclear weapons with assistance from Britain and France, alleging this would give Kyiv leverage in ending the ongoing war. The SVR claimed that Britain and France believed a nuclear weapon or "dirty bomb" would secure more favorable terms for Ukraine, but provided no evidence to support the assertion. Both Britain and France have refuted the accusation, with France calling it "blatant disinformation" and Britain dismissing it as untrue. Ukraine has also denied seeking to reacquire nuclear weapons, despite past criticism from President Zelensky about giving up its Soviet-era arsenal in the 1990s. Kyiv maintains it respects all international treaties.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Keir Starmer 40% SVR 50% Volodymyr Zelenskyy 60% France ×270% UK ×270% Russia ×290% Ukraine ×390%

Keywords

nuclear weapon 100% ukraine 90% russia 90% allegation 70% disinformation 60% dirty bomb 60% international treaties 50% security guarantees 50% britain 40% france 40%