"The fact these Russian nuclear devices were IN the Ukraine, does not mean that the Ukraine made, owned, controlled, or had launch codes for them ever.
They were always built by, owned, controlled, and removed by Russia." R5 #276
"That does not mean the nukes were "given" to them, but simply recognized the reality that they were and aways are Russian property." R5 #281
Even if true it's immaterial, and there appears to be substantial factual error in these assertions.
Your assertion is they were "Russian".
The global Cold War consensus was they were "Soviet" missiles, and that Ukraine had been subject to Soviet totalitarian rule.
UNQUESTIONABLY some within Ukraine might have wanted Soviet membership at that time.
Likely some, perhaps most within Ukraine did not.
During the GHWB administration when "The Wall" fell, and the Cold War ended, those
former Soviet missiles were in the CUSTODY of Ukraine.
Your oft' repeated assertions about ownership, control, & launch codes may or may not be true. For sake of decisive refutation we can assume them true.
Even if true, so what?
Ukraine had CUSTODY *, and while Ukraine on that very day using those former Soviet missiles in war to attack enemies outside Ukraine borders would have been difficult without the launch code you mentioned,
that is hardly an insurmountable technical problem.
There are numerous ways Ukraine could have solved that problem.
- Ukraine could have deciphered the codes.
- Ukraine could have bought the codes, from a hacker, or a former Soviet official, or someone else.
- The entire launch code interlock could have simply been bypassed with a vodka-swilling drunk with a solder gun.
BOTTOM LINE:
a) Ukraine had CUSTODY
b) Ukraine reportedly forfeited custody for international assurances, which if reports are true, have since been flagrantly violated.
* Think it through.
You think the Kremlin could have sent Russian commandos to repatriate former Soviet missiles from Ukraine to Russia?
Not likely.
And the risk of any such attempt resulting in nuking Moscow would be a substantial deterrent to even attempting it, let alone succeeding at it.