Traded nukes for war: Zelenskyy on talk with Trump about Budapest Memorandum
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (GettyImages)
The United States of America and the Russian Federation forced Ukraine to renounce nuclear weapons. The Budapest Memorandum was not a logical decision, according to a statement by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview for the Il Foglio newspaper.
During the interview, Zelenskyy recalled a conversation with US President Donald Trump regarding the Budapest Memorandum, as well as a meeting in the Normandy format that took place in 2019.
In particular, Zelenskyy reminded that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not keep his word.
"Putin gives his word and then does not keep it. We talked about the Budapest Memorandum, and he (Trump – ed.) heard my position. I believe that this should not have been done either with Ukraine or with Europe. Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons. I do not claim that it should have been given up or not. In my opinion, it shouldn't have been, judging by the fact that we were attacked," the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, 30 years ago, Ukraine should have exchanged the renunciation of nuclear weapons for real security guarantees. At that time, it would have meant Ukraine joining NATO.
"It was stupid, absolutely stupid, illogical, and very irresponsible to change it this way... At that time, larger countries and bigger economies influenced Ukraine. It was not easy to refuse them," Zelenskyy said.
Budapest Memorandum
The Budapest Memorandum is an international agreement signed on December 5, 1994, between Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. At that time, these countries allegedly provided Ukraine with guarantees of its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security in exchange for Ukraine's renouncement of nuclear weapons.
Recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasized that Kyiv rejects any alternatives to joining NATO after the Budapest Memorandum, which became a bitter experience for the country.
For a detailed discussion on why the memorandum failed and whether it is possible to restore Ukraine's nuclear status in this context, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
