Russia has officially stated that it did not violate the Budapest Memorandum, despite the full-scale aggression against Ukraine. This was reported by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow does not consider its actions towards Ukraine to be contrary to the provisions of the Budapest Memorandum.
“The Budapest Memorandum states that Ukraine, like other former Soviet republics that have renounced nuclear weapons, will receive the guarantees that nuclear states give to non-nuclear states. That’s it. That’s all. These guarantees indicate that nuclear weapons will not be used against non-nuclear states that are parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Lavrov noted.
The Russian side claims that, together with the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, the parties allegedly agreed on a declaration that enshrined the principles of the OSCE – in particular, the obligation to respect the rights of national minorities, democracy and freedom of speech. Moscow claims that these principles were violated by Kyiv, using this as a justification for its own aggression.
Let us recall that the Budapest Memorandum on Security Guarantees was signed on December 5, 1994. According to the document, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States pledged to respect the independence, sovereignty and current borders of Ukraine. The signatory countries also pledged to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity and political independence of Ukraine.
The document specifically emphasizes that neither party should use its weapons against Ukraine, except in cases of self-defense or actions in accordance with the UN Charter. In addition, the memorandum contains provisions prohibiting the use of economic pressure to influence Ukraine’s foreign policy decisions or obtain unilateral benefits.
