There were groans in Washington. Gone forever were the cold-war days when the United States was dealing with only one nuclear nemesis; now there were fractious and dangerous states everywhere, from Kiev to Pyongyang. North Korea’s withdrawal from the nonproliferation treaty takes effect this week, despite desperate American attempts to keep the renegade state in the fold. And Kuchma’s remarks put the stamp of failure on recent U.S. efforts to wean Ukraine of its ambitions to join the nuclear club. Kiev may still be smarting from President Bush’s 1991 trip in which he warned the independence-minded Ukrainian parliament to avoid “suicidal nationalism.” Last month’s charm offensive by special envoy Strobe Talbott didn’t win many hearts and minds, either; Talbott offered the services of U.S. officials for things like mediation with Moscow which Kiev can do all by itself. As a precondition for giving up their nuclear arsenal, the Ukrainians want U.S., help in getting security guarantees of territorial integrity from Russia.

Moscow has its own worries. Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk reassured Russia that Kiev would give up its entire nuclear stockpile. The 176 strategic missiles at issue are on Ukrainian soil but under Russian control. What upset Moscow was Kuchma’s hint that operational control of the missiles-the ability to bypass the Russian command and launch the missiles-was within his country’s competence.

Ukraine’s outburst was less a declaration of war than a cry for recognition. The missiles are symbols of status and security for a country that hasn’t tasted freedom in more than 300 years. They are also a potentially valuable commodity, since their uranium can help run the nuclear reactors that keep the country from depending exclusively on Russian oil. The latest U.S. mission to Kiev-an offer to swap a modest package of financial and military concessions for nuclear warheads-misses the point. The Ukrainians want respect. Until they get it, they won’t give up the missiles.

NATION NUCLEAR WARHEADS United States 9,000

Russia 6,750

Ukraine 1,900

Kazakhstan 1,400

France 525