Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko has cautioned against accepting insufficient security guarantees in any negotiations with Russia, referencing the failings of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
Speaking to a television broadcaster, Klitschko described the previous agreement as having yielded “very bad experiences” for Ukraine, suggesting it had ultimately proven worthless. He emphasized the desire to avoid repeating what he views as a similar mistake.
The 1994 Budapest Memorandum saw Ukraine relinquish its nuclear arsenal in exchange for assurances of sovereignty from Russia and security guarantees from Western nations – guarantees which lacked concrete military commitments. Russia subsequently annexed Crimea in 2014 without facing significant repercussions.
Klitschko stressed the necessity of genuinely robust security assurances this time around. While acknowledging Russia’s opposition to Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, he called for the development of alternative frameworks to provide long-term security. He warned that without such guarantees, experts predict Russia could utilise any potential pause in hostilities to regroup and renew attacks in the future, potentially within months or years.
Klitschko firmly believes that a strong stance is the only effective deterrent against further Russian aggression, stating that weakness will inevitably be exploited.
He also expressed hope that European leaders will be involved in any prospective summit between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian President Putin. He stated that such a meeting, which he anticipates happening soon, should not be limited to the two nations involved and underscores that the discussions concern the security of the entire European continent, not merely Ukraine.
