Ukrainians raise millions for ‘nuke’ after Trump clash
Ukrainians started pooling cash for nuclear weapons following a heated dispute between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump. Monobank co-founder Oleh Gorokhovsky opened the fundraiser at users’ request, he announced on his Telegram channel on March 1.
“Lots of requests to start a ‘nuke’ fundraiser. Here’s the jar,” he wrote.
Within 30 minutes, it collected 2 million hryvnias ($48,272), soaring past 21 million ($506,852) and counting.
“About 70,000 donors from 61 countries,” Horokhovsky said.
“After Ukraine, the U.S. donates the most, then Poland. Thanks, friends! Americans and Poles are our closest allies, no doubt.”
But Vadim Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ex-foreign minister and ambassador to the U.K., told Radio NV that Ukraine gave up not just nuclear weapons but also enriched uranium tech under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum and can’t rebuild it now.
Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy’s White House dispute
On Feb. 28, a live press event in the Oval Office turned contentious. Trump told Zelenskyy he “should be grateful” and accused him of “gambling with World War III,” cutting off his responses. Trump warned, “Either you make a deal, or we’re out.” Vance backed Trump, saying Zelenskyy “should thank the U.S. president” for "trying to prevent the destruction of his country."
The Ukrainian delegation left early, and a planned U.S.-Ukraine minerals framework deal went unsigned.
Trump later called Zelenskyy “not a man who wants to make peace,” claiming Russian leader Vladimir Putin does.
In his Fox News interview, Zelenskyy said he did not need to apologize to Trump but respects Americans. He believes ties with Trump can recover and signaled openness to a minerals deal.
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