On 3 December 2024, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement marking the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum, reinforcing Ukraine’s unwavering demand for full NATO membership as the only security guarantee, rejecting all alternatives. This statement comes ahead of the Ukraine-NATO Council meeting on 3–4 December in Brussels.

The Budapest Memorandum, signed on 5 December 1994, was intended to provide Ukraine with security guarantees in exchange for renouncing its nuclear weapons, the third-largest arsenal in the world at the time. The agreement was signed by Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia, with the understanding that the signatories would ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, the Memorandum failed to prevent Russia’s aggression. In 2014, Russia, a signatory and supposed guarantor, violated the agreement by annexing Crimea and instigating armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, which escalated into a full-scale invasion in 2022.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry stressed that Russia’s actions, particularly its disregard for the Budapest Memorandum, have undermined the very principles of nuclear disarmament and global security. The failure of the Memorandum has not only endangered Ukraine’s security but has had a destabilizing impact globally, particularly in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Furthermore, Ukraine’s Ministry emphasized that NATO membership is the only feasible response to Russian aggression.

“We are convinced that the only real guarantee of security for Ukraine, as well as a deterrent to further Russian aggression against Ukraine and other states, is Ukraine’s full membership in NATO. With the bitter experience of the Budapest Memorandum behind us, we will not accept any alternatives, surrogates or substitutes for Ukraine’s full membership in NATO,” the Ministry said.

Ukraine called on the US, UK, France, China, and other NATO signatories to provide binding security guarantees to Ukraine.

Ukraine’s demand for NATO membership comes amid a growing realization that the Budapest Memorandum has failed to prevent aggression from nuclear states and has left Ukraine vulnerable. Ukrainian officials believe NATO membership is the only way to restore confidence in nuclear disarmament and uphold international law. The statement concluded by calling for NATO to take concrete steps towards Ukraine’s accession to the alliance to counter Russian blackmail and to preserve global security.

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