Russian international minister cynically claims Russia shouldn’t be violating Budapest Memorandum

Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov has acknowledged that Moscow doesn’t contemplate its aggression in opposition to Ukraine to be a violation of the Budapest Memorandum.

Supply: Lavrov in an interview with the Hungarian YouTube channel Ultrahang, as reported by Kremlin-aligned Russian information company RIA Novosti

Quote: "The [Budapest] Memorandum states that Ukraine, like different former Soviet republics that gave up nuclear weapons, would obtain ensures from nuclear powers to non-nuclear states. That's all. That's it. These ensures say that nuclear weapons is not going to be used in opposition to non-nuclear states which might be events to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons."

Particulars: Lavrov justified Russia's actions by claiming that alongside the Budapest Memorandum, the identical events signed a declaration committing to OSCE rules, together with minority rights, democracy and freedom of speech. He asserted that these obligations have been violated by Kyiv.

For reference: The Memorandum on Safety Assurances in reference to Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (the Budapest Memorandum) was signed on 5 December 1994.

Its textual content states that Russia, the UK and america "reaffirm their dedication to respect the independence and sovereignty and the present borders of Ukraine." In addition they pledged to "chorus from the menace or use of pressure in opposition to the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used in opposition to Ukraine besides in self-defence or in any other case in accordance with the Constitution of the United Nations".

The signatories additional confirmed their dedication to "chorus from financial coercion designed to subordinate to their very own curiosity the train by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to safe benefits of any form".

It’s evident that Russia has flagrantly violated these provisions of the Budapest Memorandum, having waged aggression in opposition to Ukraine since 2014 and launching a full-scale invasion in 2022.

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