The Ukrainian President said that Ukraine can now either have nuclear weapons which it gave up following the 1994 Budapest Memorandum or join NATO alliance, as the victory plan suggests.
At a press conference held in Brussels after a European Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the shortcomings with the Budapest Memorandum, as a key argument to support Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, revealing details from a conversation he had with former US president Donald Trump.
The Budapest Memorandum was signed in 1994. It was a diplomatic agreement whereby Ukraine gave up its arsenal of nuclear weapons in exchange for guarantees from Russia, the US and the UK that they would respect its sovereignty and refrain against aggression.
Russia, on the other hand, views Ukrainian membership as an existential danger and has cited this as one of its reasons for its aggressiveness, complicating Ukraine’s road to NATO accession.
Which of these big countries – these nuclear powers – has suffered [after the Budapest Memorandum]?” All of them? No, only Ukraine. Who has given up nuclear weapons? All of them? No, only Ukraine. Who is fighting today? Zelenskyy: “Only Ukraine.”
He argued that Ukraine has two options in this situation: either possess nuclear weapons, or join the NATO alliance.
Zelenskyy emphasized that the Budapest agreement, for which Russia served as a guarantee, has not been effective in protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Trump’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine
Zelenskyy claimed earlier that Trump had promised to support Ukraine, if reelected, highlighting a shared interest in “just peace.”
Donald Trump, on the other hand, highlighted his personal relationships both with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
Trump’s willingness to broker a settlement, even if that means making territorial concessions is in line with his praise of Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy’s victory plan is centered on reclaiming occupied territories, and securing security for the long term through international support.
He has said that the war would never have happened under his presidency, and he has criticized US support for Ukraine.
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