Not only Ukraine, but the entire world can admire the unprecedented decision of Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons. Regardless of the fact that Ukraine has solved its problems of the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and technology by transferring all nuclear warheads to Russia in accordance to the tripartite agreement, Ukraine was and undoubtedly will continue be a nuclear country.

    This statement is based on the fact that there are 5 nuclear power plants with 14 working units in Ukraine that are supported by a scientific structure with highly skilled specialists. These specialists include power engineers, nuclear physicists, geologists specializing in uranium deposits and nuclear power plant designers. In the National Academy of Sciences, there are several dozen institutes, which in some manner or other are connected with nuclear power plants. One should not forget that in 1993, Ukraine had 176 strategic missiles, to say nothing of tactical weapons. Each missile had a warhead equipped with approximately 10 nuclear devices. In total, we had about 2000 uranium-235 or plutonium-239 nuclear devices. Information on the weight of modern atomic bombs is available not only in museums but also via the Internet. According to the latest statistics from the Internet, a critical mass of fissile nuclear material weighs 59 kg. The Ukrainian section of the Soviet Army had 50 tones of uranium-235 and approximately 10 tones of plutonium-239 at its disposal. At that time, Ukraine possessed missiles that were recognized by our American and other Western colleagues as surpassing the same class of American missiles in many parameters. (SS-20, SS-22 and SS-24 missiles, as they are called by Americans, are still known to possess extremely high technical and tactical characteristics). All of this demonstrates that Ukraine had certain possibilities in the nuclear area.

    Nuclear weapons were produced in Russia. Ukraine did not have nuclear weapons designers. However, Ukraine had significant technical and scientific potential. Under such conditions, the refusal of nuclear weapons by Ukraine – was not just a forced step but reflected a deep understanding of international politics and an understanding that Ukraine would not be able to conduct nuclear war effectively.

    Assistance is currently being provided for solving Ukraine’s nuclear problems. For example, the Scientific and Technical Center of Ukraine received $29 million to support former scientists. In exchange for the transfer of uranium-235 to Russia, Ukraine received approximately $50 million of fuel for its nuclear power stations. However, nonproliferation issues still remain. Ukraine continues to have many nuclear-related technologies and expertise.

    If one were to compare Ukraine with India and Pakistan, Ukraine could become a nuclear weapons state much quicker than India and Pakistan under certain circumstances. Ukraine has specialists who know how to produce pure beryllium, beryllium compounds and other related products. It is well-known that beryllium is a component used in nuclear weapons. Ukraine is named a “virtual nuclear weapons state”. Thanks only to the political will shared among scientists, Ukraine will never revive its nuclear weapon status.

    We can identify several problems of nuclear energy in Ukraine: safety at nuclear power plants, fuel production, and radioactive waste disposal. Ukraine possesses one of the richest regions of uranium deposits and Ukraine is one of the richest countries of former Soviet Union for zirconium deposits. Zirconium is the second strategic material for producing nuclear fuel. Talks about producing our own nuclear fuel have been ongoing for the last six years but we are too far from beginning to create this cycle. This cycle will not be closed in Ukraine.

    Ukraine would have to purchase uranium-235, necessary for enriching natural uranium. Uranium-235 is very expensive to produce and there is no sense to do that now, when the world has accumulated nearly several hundred thousands tons. It was planned to create a fuel fabrication plant, probably without consultation for our American, Russian, and Western European colleagues. Certainly, American and Russian ways of producing fuel are the closest for Ukraine.

    Regarding radioactive waste disposal problem, an agreement existed during the Soviet Union to transport such wastes to the Krasnoyarsk Territory in Russia. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the agreement ceased to exist. Ukraine currently has to spend huge sums of money to purchase fuel and to bury nuclear waste. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, nuclear wastes have to be returned to Ukraine after processing. The problems of creating our own disposal site for nuclear wastes and finding ways to process it are extremely important for Ukraine. Such problems should be solved in cooperation with the international community.

    Finally, we should not forget the problem of the cleaning of the Chernobyl Exclusion zone from nuclear pollution. Ukrainian scientists have already developed a new successful method for such clean up. For example, one new system that has been tested involves using certain types of herbs, shrubs and trees that draw out and accumulate radionuclides from the ground using their rhizomes. This system is not fully developed but the main idea had been approved and the intention to implement this project by Ukrainian and American parties with the support of the US Department of Energy was recently announced. Assistance to countries that gave up nuclear weapons must be adequate. It is possible to attract public attention to global nuclear nonproliferation by on the one hand, criticizing the position of India and Pakistan and on the other, showing the example of Ukraine.