WASHINGTON: According to press reports Ukraine, the third largest nuclear power with 1656 warheads announced on Oct.19, that it plans to keep some of the nuclear power it has inherited from the USSR.
Accusing the west of not providing sufficient financial support, the President Mr.Kravchuk stated Ukraine may keep 46 SS 24 missiles though their codes will be changed so that they are not armed at the US. These are considered the most modem weapon of the old Soviet nuclear arsenal.
Previously President Kravchuk had repeated his intent to dismantle all nuclear weapons on its territory, ratify the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) and become a nonnuclear state. Ukraine’s turnaround comes only a month and a half after Russia announced that Ukraine had agreed to transfer all its nuclear weapons to Russia.
The agreement fell apart weeks Tater when the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry insisted that the agreement called for the transfer of only some nuclear weapons 10 Russia, not all of them,
Ukraine has been asking the United States for $2.5 billion to dismantle and destroy its nuclear weapons. Today President Kraychuk reiterated that Ukraine wanted to be nonnuclear, “but we need help to be nonnuclear.”
Kiev secured $175 million from Washington last year but the money has yet not been disbursed because of a delay in signing an umbrella agreement that governs how the missiles are to be destroyed.
Congress has earmarked another $400 million this year and United States officials have said more may be available later if the umbrella agreement is signed.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 29, 1993
