No guarantees – Germany explained the Budapest Memorandum

The Budapest Memorandum, which was supposed to guarantee Ukraine international protection in exchange for renunciation of nuclear weapons, has no legal obligations. So, at least, the German Ambassador Anki Feldhusen said on the air of Ukraine 24.

Statement

“Budapest Memorandum – This format has no international legal obligations. It was just a suggestion. However, I think now it is necessary to try everything to avoid war”, Anki Feldhusen said on the air.

At the same time, the ambassador agreed that such a precedent is negative, since it demonstrates to the world community that no one guarantees anything to anyone.

“Our security system is now under threat. And now we all need to work to develop rules that everyone would respect. In 1997, there was also another agreement signed by Kuchma and Yeltsin. I was present at this in the hall at the Mariinsky Palace. Then it was a very big success for Ukraine. Then we all thought that we had taken a step forward in the security system of the whole of Europe. And now it’s all falling apart. You need to think about the whole system, the diplomat said.

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Hope was

Provisions of the memorandum

1. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm to Ukraine their obligations under the principles of the Final Act of the CSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) to respect the independence and sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine.

2. … reaffirm their commitment to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine, except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the UN Charter.

3. …reaffirm to Ukraine their commitment, in accordance with the principles of the Final Act of the CSCE, to refrain from economic pressure to subdue their own interests in the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty, and thus to obtain any advantage.

4. … reaffirm their commitment to seek immediate action by the UN Security Council to assist Ukraine as a non-nuclear-weapon state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the event that Ukraine becomes a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression using nuclear weapons .