Ukraine has denied claims of developing its own nuclear weapons to counter Russia. The country's Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed The Times report, emphasizing Ukraine's commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The outgoing president may urge Mr Trump to back Ukraine in its war with Russia, as Washington’s support for Kyiv hangs in the balance since Mr Trump's victory last week, with US secretary of state Antony Blinken vowing to bolster Kyiv as much as possible in the months prior to Mr Trump reassuming office.

A think tank has said that the war torn country could build a basic device - using similar tech to that which brought about the 1945 bombing of Nagasaki