US Secretary of State calls Zelensky's call to provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine frivolous

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Breitbart News that it is not a "serious proposal" for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ask for nuclear weapons for Ukraine in exchange for NATO membership as part of peace talks with Russia.

"Well, I don't think anyone on their side would consider that a serious proposal, and I don't think arming them with nuclear weapons is a solution to the problem," Rubio said.  

“I haven’t heard him (Zelensky) say anything like that, so if he’s saying that, I don’t think it’s a realistic demand,” Rubio said. “We need fewer countries with nuclear weapons, not more, and I don’t think that’s going to solve their problem the way they see it. I think he’s facing a fundamental challenge, and that’s okay.

How do you end a conflict that’s not ending and that’s going to continue and that doesn’t suddenly escalate into another war in a year, two, or three years for one reason or another? These are the kinds of things that should be discussed in any negotiation. But I don’t think nuclear weapons are the answer to that question.”

In early February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with American journalist Piers Morgan that Kiev must have its own defense before joining NATO. It could be nuclear weapons or more missiles, he said.