EAST AND WEST

Moscow has publicly accused the United Kingdom and France of considering plans to provide Kiev with nuclear weapons or related technologies.

On 24 February 2026, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement alleging that officials in London and Paris are contemplating ways to transfer nuclear weapons — including the possibility of an atomic bomb or a so‑called “dirty bomb” — to Ukraine. According to the SVR, these acquisitions would be aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s position in negotiations to end the ongoing conflict.

The SVR statement further claims that discussions involve not only warheads but also delivery systems and related components produced in Europe. As one example, the agency referenced the French TN75 miniature warhead designed for use on M51.1 submarine‑launched ballistic missiles as a possible model under review.

German Reaction and Western Silence

In its statement, the Russian intelligence service said that Germany declined to participate in any such plans, describing Berlin’s position as cautious or prudent.

Neither the British nor French governments have publicly acknowledged the allegations or offered official responses. Western officials, in media coverage of the claims, have not confirmed the existence of any such nuclear supply plans.

Russian Government’s Argument on Legal and Security Risks

Russia’s Kremlin spokesman and senior officials have framed the accusation as a potential breach of international law, particularly the Treaty on the Non‑Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Kremlin representatives argue that supplying nuclear weapons to a third country at war would undermine the global non‑proliferation regime and risk wider escalation.

In connection with the SVR’s announcement, members of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) called for investigations by national parliaments in London and Paris, as well as by international bodies such as the United Nations Security Council, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and parties to the NPT.

Senators such as Konstantin Kosachev have described the alleged collusion between London and Paris as taking place outside democratic oversight and expressed deep alarm about the potential for escalation.

The announcement comes as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine enters its fifth year, a period marked by intensified diplomatic activity and repeated tensions over military support from Western allies. European leaders have continued to express political and material backing for Ukraine. There has been no indication from official sources that nuclear weapons are being considered for transfer..

Under the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, Ukraine agreed to relinquish Soviet‑era nuclear weapons on its territory in exchange for security assurances from Russia, the UK, and the United States — a pact that has itself been a subject of contention since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the full‑scale invasion in 2022.

The NPT, which both the UK and France are parties to, prohibits the transfer of nuclear weapons to non‑nuclear‑weapon states — a framework designed to limit proliferation and encourage disarmament.

Independent analysts have noted that no credible evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate claims that the UK or France is arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons. Such a step would represent a dramatic departure from established Western policy and carry significant consequences.