Ukraine demands NATO membership as Budapest Memorandum fails
The Kyiv authorities have officially rejected the so-called security guarantees offered as substitutes for Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that full NATO membership is the sole guarantee of the country’s security, citing the failure of alternatives like the Budapest Memorandum.
"The Budapest Memorandum failed to prevent the Russian Federation, a nuclear-armed state, from committing aggression against Ukraine, which had relinquished its nuclear arsenal. Even the consultations outlined in the document, despite Ukraine's repeated attempts to initiate them, never occurred," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.
Furthermore, Kyiv’s diplomats underscored that Russia's violation of the memorandum undermined trust in the very concept of nuclear disarmament. "This is not just about Ukraine's security but also the security of other countries and regions. Currently, there are active efforts to build or expand existing nuclear arsenals—from the Indo-Pacific region and the Middle East to the Euro-Atlantic area," the Ministry stressed.
Ukraine has urged the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and other nations to back its bid for NATO membership. This statement was published on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, which supported Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
"Given the bitter legacy of the Budapest Memorandum, we will not accept any alternative, surrogate, or substitute for Ukraine’s full NATO membership. Inviting Ukraine to NATO now would serve as an effective counterbalance to Russian blackmail and strip the Kremlin of any illusions about blocking Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. It is also the sole opportunity to halt the erosion of nuclear non-proliferation’s core principles and to restore confidence in nuclear disarmament," the statement concluded.
The Budapest Memorandum is an international agreement signed on December 5, 1994, in Budapest, Hungary, by Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. The treaty addresses Ukraine’s nuclear disarmament and includes measures to safeguard its sovereignty. Under the terms of the agreement, Ukraine agreed to give up the Soviet-era nuclear weapons stationed on its territory, which were subsequently transferred to the Russian Federation.
On Tuesday, December 3, NATO foreign ministers convened in Brussels, prioritizing continued support for Ukraine in resisting Russian aggression.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
