LETTER: Give Ukraine back its nukes

In response to the Monday Associated Press article, “Putin hopes no nuclear weapons are needed”: Russia has the world’s largest atomic arsenal because Ukraine turned its nuclear weapons over to Russia as part of the Budapest Memorandum. Ukraine’s sovereignty would be guaranteed if it turned over its nuclear arsenal to Russia to be dismantled. The memorandum promise was broken the second Russia entered Ukraine to acquire territory.

It’s time to renew Ukraine’s nuclear arsenal, in the dark of night if necessary. Then the nation can negotiate with Russia on an even playing field. People will respond in horror, “What about World War III and a nuclear war?” Putin’s oligarchs are not going to allow him to start a nuclear war that would blow up their castles. And what’s to keep any nation with nukes from making the same threat to a neighbor’s territory?

We need to stop being played. Call Putin’s bluff. I’m so sick of living in fear, and I think everyone is.