Not good enough. All we have is some verbiage about NATO. But I think I have delayed long enough.
When the Soviet Union broke up, the former satellites became owners of many Soviet military hardware. For Ukraine, that ownership involved nuclear weapons. The Budapest Agreement had Ukraine gave up all nuclear weapons. The US/UK helped Ukraine in the dismantling process. The nuclear fissile materials returned to Russia. In return, all parties agreed to respect Ukraine's independence which implied future independent foreign policies devoid of outside pressure. Russia, eager to get all the nuclear fissile materials, agreed.
Budapest, 5 December 1994
The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
Welcoming the accession of Ukraine to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a non-nuclear-weapon State,
Taking into account the commitment of Ukraine to eliminate all nuclear weapons from its territory within a specified period of time,
Noting the changes in the world-wide security situation, including the end of the Cold War, which have brought about conditions for deep reductions in nuclear forces.
Confirm the following:
1. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the CSCE Final Act, to respect the Independence and Sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine.
2. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
3. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the CSCE Final Act, to refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to secure advantages of any kind.
4. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, reaffirm their commitment to seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to Ukraine, as a nonnuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, if Ukraine should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used.
5. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, reaffirm, in the case of the Ukraine, their commitment not to use nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear-weapon State Party 2 to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, except in the case of an attack on themselves, their territories or dependent territories, their armed forces, or their allies, by such a state in association or alliance with a nuclear weapon state.
6. The United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will consult in the event a situation arises which raises a question concerning these commitments.
This Memorandum will become applicable upon signature.
Signed in four copies having equal validity in the English, Russian and Ukrainian languages.
The problem here is that the Budapest Agreement of 1994 is not legally binding on all signatories. It was at best sort of a "gentlemen's handshake". All signatories promised not to attack Ukraine, but then no one promised to come to Ukraine's aid should Ukraine come under attack. And this is how Putin done it.
But ultimately, legal document or not, Russia is now seen as aggressor despite what was promised to Ukraine. The Budapest Agreement of 1994
WILL be disseminated throughout and the consequences will be many
IMPLICIT memberships in NATO. Ukraine trusted Russia despite the absence of any legal protection and gave up the best guarantor of independence -- nuclear weapons. And was betrayed by Russia.
Спасибо, Vladimir Putin, for securing the future expansion of NATO.
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