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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that giving up nuclear weapons in exchange for the signing of the Budapest Memorandum was “absolutely stupid, illogical, and very irresponsible”.
The head of state said this in an interview with Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for the Il Foglio newspaper, Ukrinform reports.
“If I were to exchange nuclear weapons, I would exchange them for something really strong that can really stop any attacker, regardless of their power, their territory, their army, etc. And this is a strong army and a security bloc. Therefore, I believe it was stupid, absolutely stupid, illogical, and very irresponsible to swap them like this,” Zelenskyy said.
Answering the question of whether he discussed the Budapest Memorandum with U.S. President Donald Trump, the president noted: “We talked about the Budapest Memorandum, and he (Donald Trump – ed.) heard my position. My position certainly differs from loyalty to some steps. I believe that this could not have been done either with Ukraine or with Europe, honestly.”
In his opinion, instead of giving up nuclear weapons, it was necessary to demand membership of NATO.
“If at that time the politicians in America and Russia were united, forcing Ukraine to give up nuclear weapons, then it was, at least, dangerous to exchange them for nothing. It was necessary to exchange them for real security guarantees, and then it was only NATO. To be honest, today it is also only NATO,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
The president clarified that in peacetime, the only guarantee of security is NATO membership, and in wartime, it is a strong army.
As reported earlier, on December 3, on the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “this document has not worked for a single day.”
Other key points from the interview:
- On nuclear disarmament: Zelenskyy expressed regret over Ukraine’s decision to relinquish its nuclear weapons without receiving proper security guarantees in return. He emphasized that in peacetime, NATO could provide such guarantees, while in wartime, only a strong army can ensure security.
- On military mobilization: He underlined the critical nature of martial law, stating that the mobilization of people and resources is essential. Partial demobilization, he warned, would mean surrender, as the threat posed by Russia remains existential.
- On Mariupol casualties: Zelenskyy lamented the inability to determine the true scale of losses in Mariupol, noting initial reports of 20,000 deaths but stressing that the exact figure remains elusive.
- On Russian actions in the south: He highlighted the deportation of 19,500 Ukrainian children by Russian forces, the persecution of striking civilians, and mass casualties. Zelenskyy likened Russia’s rapid reconstruction in Mariupol to the rebuilding of Grozny, covering the destruction and loss of life.
- On international responses: He criticized the lack of decisive action from Ukraine’s leadership and Western nations during earlier stages of Russian aggression, calling the Minsk agreements “treasonous.” He also questioned the outcomes of the 2021 meeting between Presidents Putin and Biden in Switzerland.
- On frozen conflicts: Zelenskyy emphasized that freezing the conflict would only serve Putin’s interests, as it would prevent Ukraine from growing stronger, securing investments, or joining NATO and the EU. He framed Putin’s strategy as a deliberate attempt to halt Ukraine’s progress.
Read also: NATO starts sharing classified data with EU, defense industry – Bloomberg
