Main points
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that giving up nuclear weapons was a mistake and Ukraine should have become a member of NATO.
- Zelensky believes that the nuclear powers that signed the Budapest Memorandum should have provided Ukraine with a security umbrella, and that the transfer of nuclear weapons was a deception.
Volodymyr Zelensky / Photo Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that giving up nuclear weapons was unfair. In his opinion, Ukraine should have at least gained NATO membership.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about this in an interview with The Rest Is Politics.
What does Zelensky think about the Budapest Memorandum?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Ukraine has not received enough due to the decision to abandon nuclear weapons.
I believe that NATO membership is the least that Ukraine's leaders should have gotten in exchange for a nuclear arsenal. What did we get? Nothing. It was a foul play and a big mistake,
– he declared.
He added that this was a mistake not only of Ukraine, but also of other signatories to the memorandum. The nuclear signatory states should have provided Ukraine with a security umbrella.
“Ultimately, it was all a deception. A significant portion of our nuclear weapons were transferred to Russia. For example, the strategic aircraft that Russia is now using against us in this war,” the president concluded.
Zelenskyy named the security guarantees that Ukraine wants
-
Zelensky stressed the need for clear security guarantees from Western partners, otherwise Russia may attack again.
-
Ukraine plans to add new air defense assets to the list and is considering the possibility of hosting a US military base or a joint base with Europe to reduce the risks of aggression.