The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, has reaffirmed his refusal to sign a peace agreement with Russia, assuring that sooner or later he will end up breaking it, giving as an example the signing of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, by which Ukraine renounced having the nuclear weapons of the dissolved Soviet Union in exchange for the Russian state respecting Ukrainian sovereignty and territory.
According to the Ukrainian president, the signing of this treaty, which was signed on December 5, 28 years ago, «provides answers to many of today’s questions» about Russia, which is why he reiterates his refusal to «sign anything with these terrorists», especially after Russian troops attacked the country on Monday.
«With today’s missile attack, Russia has marked another anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum. A document whose fate provides answers to many of today’s questions about Russia. Simply signing something with these terrorists will not bring peace,» the Ukrainian president has asserted in his daily message to the population of the country.
«Ceding any security elements to Russia will mean a new war (…) Only the liberation of all our land and only bringing the murderers to justice can bring peace,» he added.
In the Budapest Memorandum, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States jointly gave security guarantees to Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan for their renunciation of all Soviet-era nuclear weapons on their territories.
Among other things, the signatories pledged to respect the sovereignty and existing borders of the three former Soviet republics.
