Ukraine’s foreign ministry issues statement to mark 30 years since Budapest memorandum,
Source: Ukraine’s foreign ministry
As Ukraine approaches the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum on December 5, its foreign ministry has issued a statement urging that NATO membership for Ukraine.
Signed in 1994, the document pledged to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in exchange for relinquishing its vast nuclear arsenal—the third-largest in the world at the time. However, in 2014, Russia, one of the agreement’s guarantors, violated the pact annexing Crimea and launching a military campaign against Ukraine.
“The Budapest Memorandum failed to prevent Russian aggression against Ukraine, nor did it lead to the consultations it mandated despite Ukraine’s repeated requests,” the statement read.
The ministry condemned Russia’s breach as a dangerous precedent undermining global nuclear disarmament efforts. Instead of fostering trust, the memorandum’s failure has prompted some nations to expand or develop nuclear capabilities.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry called the lack of effective security guarantees in 1994 a “strategic error” that enabled the Kremlin to exploit Ukraine’s vulnerability.
The ministry stressed that Ukraine now needs “clear and legally binding security guarantees.” It appealed to the memorandum’s co-signatories—the United States and the United Kingdom—along with other leading nations like France and China, to support robust measures for Ukraine’s protection.
“Having learned from the bitter experience of the Budapest Memorandum, we will not accept substitutes or alternatives to full NATO membership,” the statement declared, highlighting the alliance as essential for countering Russian aggression.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.