Zelenskyy on Budapest Memorandum: Not a single day did this document work

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented on the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, stressing that Ukraine needs real security guarantees. Source: Zelenskyy in his evening address on Thursday, 5 December, as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy emphasised that the Budapest Memorandum was "of great significance" when it was signed, "but today does not even deserve many words".

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"Today marks thirty years of the Budapest Memorandum.

Ten years of war. Not a single day did this document work," he stated. The Ukrainian president added that in view of this, Ukraine needs effective guarantees: "real alliances and a realistic security foundation", weapons for defence and "unity that helps endure even the most challenging moments".

For reference: The Budapest Memorandum, signed on 4 December 1994 by Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom, provided "security assurances" to Ukraine in exchange for its renunciation of nuclear weapons.

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Background

  • Earlier this week, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced an official stance that Ukraine will not accept security assurances that are substitutes for NATO membership.
  • Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed that Ukraine had learnt a bitter lesson from its hopes for the Budapest Memorandum and that mistakes of this nature cannot be made again.

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