War in Ukraine: When can Russia and the US use nuclear weapons?
Which countries have nuclear weapons?
Officially, there are five nuclear states. They are the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom. Others, such as India, Pakistan and North Korea, have said they have successfully detonated atomic bombs and have nuclear arsenals, but are not considered nuclear states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty because they carried out tests after signing the document.
Russia is the country with the largest number of nuclear weapons, according to the Federation of American Scientists. The entity claims that Putin has 5,580 bombs under his control, while the United States has 5,044. The two countries are responsible for around 87.6% of atomic weapons; it is estimated that there are a total of 12,121 in the world.
Ukraine once had nuclear weapons. While it was part of the Soviet Union, the then-Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of four countries where the Kremlin left its nuclear bombs. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine became independent and now holds the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world — although still controlled by Russia. In 1994, Ukraine handed over the bombs to the Russian government to become a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Israel does not admit it, but it is estimated to have around 90 nuclear bombs. The state has been developing nuclear technology since 1958, but maintains an ambiguous policy regarding its nuclear program. The Arms Control Association points out that “Israel is universally believed to possess nuclear weapons stored in a partially dismantled state, although it is unclear exactly how many.”
