Russia marked the fourth anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine by accusing the United Kingdom and France of plotting a nuclear escalation in the conflict.
In a public statement, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed it had received information indicating that London and Paris want to provide Ukraine with a “wunderwaffe” weapon. According to the agency, “Kyiv will be able to secure more favorable terms for ending the fighting if it possesses a nuclear bomb or, at the very least, a ‘dirty bomb.”
The SVR went on to say that “Berlin wisely declined to participate in this dangerous adventure,” and that the alleged plan stemmed from the realization that “the current situation in Ukraine leaves no chance of achieving their much-desired victory over Russia.”
The UK government quickly denied the allegations. A Downing Street spokesperson denied the allegations, calling them “a clear attempt by Vladimir Putin to distract” from Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The spokesperson cited the Prime Minister’s remarks praising Ukrainian resilience, as well as the most recent package of military, humanitarian, and reconstruction assistance for Kyiv, as evidence of Britain’s ongoing support.
France also dismissed the accusation. The French Foreign Ministry posted on X: “Five years into its ‘three-day war,’ Russia would prefer that you concentrate on French and British nukes.”
The SVR also suggested that any transfer of such a weapon would be disguised as “the result of Ukrainian development.”
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, stated that if such a move occurred, it would constitute a “joint attack” on Russia and called for an investigation. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev went even further, warning that it could force Moscow to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine and, “if necessary, against the supplier countries that become complicit.”
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited nuclear weapons, which it relinquished in 1994 under the Budapest Memorandum in exchange for security guarantees from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia. In October 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the decision appeared questionable in retrospect following Russia’s invasion. However, he stated that if given the option of nuclear weapons or NATO membership as a security guarantee, he would choose NATO.