Ukraine: Member of Post-Coup Government Says Ukraine May Seek Nukes if West Doesn't Force Russia to Vacate Crimea — Silence From Those Who Whine About Iran's Potential Nukes

Neo-Nazis with nukes?: Aleksandr Sych of the neo-Nazi Svoboda party is now a
cabinet member in the post-coup Ukraine government. (Screen capture from Youtube
video)

By Oren Dorell
Ukraine may have to arm itself with nuclear weapons if the United States and other world powers refuse to enforce a security pact that obligates them to reverse the Moscow-backed takeover of Crimea, a member of the Ukraine parliament told USA TODAY.

The United States, Great Britain and Russia agreed in a pact "to assure Ukraine's territorial integrity" in return for Ukraine giving up a nuclear arsenal it inherited from the Soviet Union after declaring independence in 1991, said Pavlo Rizanenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament.

"We gave up nuclear weapons because of this agreement," said Rizanenko, a member of the Udar Party headed by Vitali Klitschko, a candidate for president. "Now there's a strong sentiment in Ukraine that we made a big mistake."

His statements come as Russia raised the possibility it may send its troops beyond the Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea into the eastern half of Ukraine.

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