Representatives from the United Kingdom and France firmly rejected claims made by Russian officials regarding an alleged readiness to transfer nuclear weapons to Ukraine. This assertion was addressed during a United Nations Security Council meeting, where both nations emphasized their commitment to nuclear non-proliferation.
During the session, Russian UN representative Vasily Nebenzya reiterated the Kremlin’s claims about preparations for supplying Ukraine with a nuclear bomb. In response, UK Minister for Europe, North America, and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty labeled these statements as “outright lies.”
“The accusation made by the Russian representative is blatant falsehood. He claims we have lost touch with reality; in fact, it is Russia that has lost touch with reality,” Doughty stated.
Doughty characterized the claims as another instance of misinformation aimed at distracting from Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. He reaffirmed that the UK adheres to its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and will not supply nuclear arms or related technologies to Ukraine.
French UN representative Jérôme Bonnafont also dismissed the Russian assertions, calling them “gross misinformation” and noting their lack of factual basis. He emphasized that France would never violate the treaty or its commitments.
“It is Russia that is violating agreements, threatening nuclear warfare for four years, concealing its proliferation maneuvers, and supporting nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran, whose civilian nature has never been proven,” Bonnafont added.
UK government spokesperson Kira Starmer previously stated that Russia’s claims about nuclear and “dirty bombs” are false and intended to divert attention from its own transgressions.
“This is a clear attempt by Vladimir Putin to distract from his horrific actions in Ukraine. There is no truth to this… We will continue our efforts to secure a just and lasting peace,” Starmer was quoted as saying by Sky News.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tikhiy also condemned the Russian statements as “absurd.”
“For the record: Ukraine has repeatedly refuted such absurd claims from Russia, and we officially deny them again,” he stated.
On February 24, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service alleged that London and Paris were “actively working” on a covert transfer of nuclear weapons—either atomic or so-called “dirty bombs”—to Ukraine. According to their narrative, the supply would be disguised to make it appear as though the nuclear weapons were a result of Ukrainian development.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described this information as “extremely important,” asserting that it poses a threat to the entire non-proliferation regime and that Moscow would consider it in future negotiations.
President Putin, during a meeting with the FSB, reminded attendees of the consequences of attempts to “utilize the nuclear component,” stressing that Russia’s “opponents” understand the potential outcomes.
UK and French officials have categorically denied Russian claims of plans to transfer nuclear weapons to Ukraine, labeling the accusations as misinformation. Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to nuclear non-proliferation during a UN Security Council meeting, while Russian representatives continue to assert otherwise.