Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine's only option besides NATO membership would be nuclear weapons, a comment that sparked significant discussion. He clarified that Ukraine is not pursuing nuclear weapons and remains committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Zelenskyy reflected on the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which led Ukraine to relinquish its nuclear arsenal for security guarantees that have not been honored. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by asserting that Russia would not allow Ukraine to acquire nuclear weapons. Ukrainian officials emphasized the need for security guarantees rather than nuclear arms.