Are young people aware that Ukraine was in possession of a very large cash of nuclear weapons at the end of the Soviet Union and that they only agreed to relinquish these weapons upon assurances of their security by the US Britain and Russia? They were concerned Russia would invade them so they insisted on this agreement. Would this make…
Are young people aware that Ukraine was in possession of a very large cash of nuclear weapons at the end of the Soviet Union and that they only agreed to relinquish these weapons upon assurances of their security by the US Britain and Russia? They were concerned Russia would invade them so they insisted on this agreement. Would this make any difference to young people? Ukrainians gave up their defense against Russia with nuclear arms in an agreement that included the United States promising to protect Ukraine from invasion. This was not that long ago. Would this make a difference to young people?
Also, why don’t we hear more discussion on this? This should be discussed in every conversation we have about our support of Ukraine.
To solidify security commitments to Ukraine, the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances on December 5, 1994. A political agreement in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Accords, the memorandum included security assurances against the threat or use of force against Ukraine’s territory or political independence. The countries promised to respect the sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine. Parallel memorandums were signed for Belarus and Kazakhstan as well. In response, Ukraine officially acceded to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state on December 5, 1994. That move met the final condition for ratification of START, and on the same day, the five START states-parties exchanged instruments of ratification, bringing the treaty into force.
2009 Joint Declaration by Russia and the United States
Russia and the United States released a joint statement in 2009 confirming that the security assurances made in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum would still be valid after START expired in 2009.”
Are young people aware that Ukraine was in possession of a very large cash of nuclear weapons at the end of the Soviet Union and that they only agreed to relinquish these weapons upon assurances of their security by the US Britain and Russia? They were concerned Russia would invade them so they insisted on this agreement. Would this make any difference to young people? Ukrainians gave up their defense against Russia with nuclear arms in an agreement that included the United States promising to protect Ukraine from invasion. This was not that long ago. Would this make a difference to young people?
Also, why don’t we hear more discussion on this? This should be discussed in every conversation we have about our support of Ukraine.
See
https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/ukraine-nuclear-weapons-and-security-assurances-glance
“1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances
To solidify security commitments to Ukraine, the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances on December 5, 1994. A political agreement in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Accords, the memorandum included security assurances against the threat or use of force against Ukraine’s territory or political independence. The countries promised to respect the sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine. Parallel memorandums were signed for Belarus and Kazakhstan as well. In response, Ukraine officially acceded to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state on December 5, 1994. That move met the final condition for ratification of START, and on the same day, the five START states-parties exchanged instruments of ratification, bringing the treaty into force.
2009 Joint Declaration by Russia and the United States
Russia and the United States released a joint statement in 2009 confirming that the security assurances made in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum would still be valid after START expired in 2009.”