A news report published overnight cited a report suggesting that Ukraine could develop a rudimentary nuclear bomb within months if Donald Trump withdraws US military aid.

According to the report, the country could use the stored plutonium to make a basic device with technology similar to the “Fat Man” bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.

The document, written by the Ukrainian National Strategic Studies Institute, the government’s research center, said, “Creating a simple atomic bomb, as the United States did within the framework of the Manhattan Project, will not be a difficult task after 80 years.” As an advisory body to the Office of the President and the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

But the claims drew ridicule from nuclear experts, who argued that the plan outlined in the report was virtually unworkable.

“This is complete madness,” said Pavel Podvig, an expert on Russian nuclear forces and international arms control.

“Apparently the argument is that Ukraine has seven tons of plutonium that it can use to build ‘hundreds of weapons.’

“But all this plutonium is in spent fuel. To extract it, a reprocessing plant is needed, which Ukraine does not have.”

He also pointed to a number of technical factors hindering such a plan, as well as a set of international rules and safeguards that make it unrealistic.

His view was echoed by Dr. Arms Control professor and member of the U.S. State Department’s International Security Advisory Board. It was also supported by Jeffrey Lewis.

In response to reports that Ukraine might develop the primitive bomb, he said: “It probably can’t. At least not anytime soon.”

To do this, he said, Ukraine would “need to build a separation facility that would take years and cost hundreds of billions of dollars.”

“While it is not technically impossible for Ukraine to obtain plutonium from spent fuel, this cannot be something Ukraine can do quickly or cheaply,” he said.

“Construction of a reprocessing plant will likely take years, during which time it will be subject to Russian attack.”