Kiev regrets the 1994 agreement, when it gave up nuclear weapons

2024-12-08 21:50:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

December 5 marked 30 years since Ukraine signed the agreement to surrender its nuclear arsenal, the world's third largest at the time. As Russia's aggression against Ukraine approaches its third year, Kiev now describes the agreement with Moscow as short-sighted. VOA correspondent Tatiana Vorozhko takes a look at the history of this deal.

December 5, 1994. The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, the United States and Britain sign the Budapest Memorandum. Steven Pifer helped negotiate the treaty.

"The United States, Britain and Russia pledged to respect Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and existing borders and pledged not to use force, or threaten to use force, against Ukraine," said Mr. Pifer.

Ukraine, which inherited the third-largest nuclear arsenal after the collapse of the Soviet Union, agreed to transfer all nuclear weapons to Russia to be dismantled and to decommission underground storage facilities from which nuclear missiles could be launched.

Mariana Budjeryn is the author of a book on the events of that time.

"Part of the agreement were also other issues, such as technical and financial assistance", she says.

In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine and fueled a separatist movement in Ukraine's eastern regions. In 2022, the large-scale attack began.

In a recent statement, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the Budapest Memorandum "evidence of short-sightedness in strategic security decision-making." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha brought a copy of the memorandum to the NATO meeting a few days ago.

"This document, or this letter, failed to protect Ukraine's security and transatlantic security. Therefore, we must avoid repeating such mistakes", said Minister Sybiha.

Kiev says that the only real guarantee for Ukraine's security and preventing further Russian aggression against it is Ukraine's membership in NATO.

Petro Poroshenko, opposition leader and former President of Ukraine, shares the same opinion.

"The signing of an invitation for membership in NATO should be considered as a continuation of the obligations of our partners, including the United States, derived from the Budapest Memorandum. This was a precondition when Ukraine voluntarily gave up the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world", says Mr. Poroshenko.

Both Ms. Budjeryn and Mr. Pifer say that at the time of the memorandum, Ukraine needed more technical and economic capabilities to maintain and develop its nuclear arsenal as a deterrent to Russia.

However, Ms Budjeryn says Ukraine could have invested more in its conventional military capabilities.

"No single document, no matter how legally binding, no matter how well written, is a sufficient basis for national security. Every country should invest in national defense and security," she says.

Mr. Pifer says the Budapest Memorandum is not the only document the Russians signed and violated, raising questions about future deals with Moscow.

"It also happened in the Russia-Ukraine Treaty of 1997 on Friendship, Cooperation and Peace. There have been several other documents where the Russian government has clearly stated: "We recognize Ukraine at the borders of 1991."

The violations also show the fragility of the international security system, Ms. Budjeryn says.

"Their effectiveness depends on states voluntarily observing, but just as much on states responding appropriately to violations."

Russian officials blame Ukraine and its partners for violating the Budapest Memorandum because, as they say, NATO expansion threatens Russian security interests./ VOA