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It is one of the great broken promises of the post-Cold War era. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine found itself in possession of the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal. In 1994, Ukraine gave up those weapons in exchange for assurances that its sovereignty would be protected. Jane Perlez was there reporting on the nuclear dismantling in Kyiv that winter of 1994. Decades later, Vladimir Putin has threatened to unleash nuclear weapons on Ukraine. In this episode, Jane Perlez interviews former Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Kuleba explains that Russia could have invaded Ukraine in 2022 whether or not Ukraine had nuclear weapons, but he believes strongly that the Americans should have done more to support his nation. “That's always the problem: Ukrainians pay with blood and tears for every intellectual failure of their Western colleagues.” Amid the world’s shifting balance of power, Kuleba weighs in: what could Ukraine have done?
Reading Recommendations:
Inheriting the Bomb by Mariana Budjeryn. Fabulous archival and on the ground research. A first rate political scientist looks at the disarmament of Ukraine, including the pressures from Washington.
Face-Off is produced and reported by Jane Perlez. Our production team is Nina Porzucki, Louise Morris, and Frank Zhou. Sound design and mixing by John Myers and Rowhome Productions.
This project is made possible by the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Managing the Atom Project. Our special guest is Professor Matthew Bunn, Faculty Chair of the Managing the Atom Project (@matthew-bunn.bsky.social).
Face Off is produced in partnership with Rowhome Productions. Rowhome's Creative Director is Alex Lewis. John Myers is Rowhome's Executive Producer.
Episode Art Image Credit: James Hill for the New York Times. Image Caption: A missile scientist stands inside the Pivdenmash rocket factory 250 miles southeast of Kyiv in 1994.
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