How UKRaine Gave Up Its Nuclear Weapons in Exchange for Hollow Security Guarantees; UKR Repels RU Attacks in 6 Sectors; UKR Continues Assault Operations in 2 Directions; Repels 50+ Attacks on Avdiivka, Bakhmut Fronts; Downs 40 RU Drones in Backmut Sector, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

How Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for hollow security guarantees

For three years in the early 1990s, Washington encouraged Kyiv to abandon its nuclear arsenal. In December 1994, having finally gotten the upper hand, the United States provided Ukraine with vague promises of assistance should the young country face military aggression.

On the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum, NV is re-releasing material from its archives which was first published in Issue No. 4 of NV magazine dated February 2, 2018.

Under four hundred words was all that it took to decide the fate of the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world, which Ukraine had inherited from the Soviet Union.

These words were packaged into six paragraphs, and the entire document, known as the Budapest Memorandum, took up only one and a half pages. It was signed on December 5, 1994, by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the UK.

From that moment, Kyiv recognized its non-nuclear status and as such joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

In the memorandum signed by then-President Leonid Kuchma, the procedure for the protection of the country voluntarily renouncing its most powerful weapons was merely outlined. In addition, in the Ukrainian and Russian versions, the text was titled as Memorandum on Security Guarantees, whereas in English, it used the word “assurances.” And in the following five points of the document, the United States and the UK did not guarantee, but only confirmed their commitment to: 1) respect the independence of Ukraine within its existing borders; 2) never use any weapon against its territorial integrity; 3) refrain from economic pressure on Ukraine which would threaten its sovereignty; 4) to provide assistance to the country in case of aggression against it; 5) not use nuclear weapons against the country. The sixth and last commitment of the signatories was a promise to advise Ukraine if any of the above five situations arise.

Two days after the summit, the secretariat of the UN General Assembly registered a letter from the permanent representatives of the four signatory countries. “We would be grateful if you had the text of this letter and its appendix (in fact, the memorandum itself), accepted for circulation as a document of the General Assembly,” the officials wrote in the message. From Russia, the letter was signed by Sergey Lavrov, the current head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, who recently assured: “We continue to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine in those borders that were formed after the referendum in Crimea and after the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Federation.” —>READ MORE HERE

Defense Forces repel enemy attacks in six sectors – General Staff:

Throughout the day, 77 combat clashes took place between the Defense Forces of Ukraine and Russian troops. The enemy is unsuccessfully attacking in the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka and Zaporizhzhia sectors.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in its evening update on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

“The operational situation in the east and south of Ukraine remains difficult. Throughout the day, 77 combat clashes took place,” the report says.

The enemy launched 27 missile attacks, 7 air strikes, and 49 MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian forces and populated areas.

Since the beginning of the day, the Russian invaders have attacked Ukraine with 20 Kh-101/Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles, an Iskander-M ballistic missile and six S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles. Ukraine’s air defense forces and means intercepted 14 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles.

As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation has not changed significantly.

In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy keeps a military presence in the border area, conducting active subversive activities in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to threatening directions, and increases the density of mine and explosive barriers along the state border of Ukraine. About 15 settlements, including Loknia, Iskryskivshchyna, Hrabovske, Seredyna Buda in Sumy region; Huryiv Kozachok, Veterinary, Hraniv in Kharkiv region came under enemy artillery and mortar shelling. —>READ MORE HERE

Follow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:

+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++

+++++Ukrainian troops continue assault operations in two directions, hold defense in others+++++

+++++Ukrainian defenders repel over 50 attacks on Avdiivka and Bakhmut fronts − General Staff+++++

+++++Forty enemy drones downed in Bakhmut sector+++++

Russians attack Avdiivka and 5 more fronts, 77 combat clashes occur within 24 hours – General Staff



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