The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) emphasized this in a statement issued Tuesday, Dec. 3. It described NATO membership as the only viable security guarantee against Russian aggression.
"Having the bitter experience of the Budapest Memorandum behind us, we will not settle for any alternatives, surrogates or substitutes for Ukraine's full membership in NATO," the statement read.
The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 resulted in Ukraine giving up the nuclear weapons stationed in its country by the Soviet Union, per the Kyiv Independent. In exchange, both Russia and the United States recognized its borders and gave it security guarantees. Thus, the MFA urged the main parties to the treaty – the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and China – to support Ukraine's NATO membership.
According to Reuters, the MFA's statement coincided with a two-day meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member nations in Brussels. However, the outlet added that the group "sidestepped Kyiv's call for an immediate invitation." (Related: Blinken says Ukraine "will become a member of NATO.")
"Although NATO has stated that Ukraine's path to membership is 'irreversible,' the alliance has not set a date or issued an invitation. Diplomats said there was currently no consensus among its 32 members to do so," Reuters stated.
The Kyiv Independent also pointed out that several NATO member countries – including Germany, Slovakia and Hungary – disagree with allowing Ukraine to join at the soonest.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha joined the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, brandishing a copy of the 30-year-old agreement. "This document failed to secure Ukrainian security and transatlantic security, so we must avoid [repeating] such mistakes," he told attendees.
Ukrainian lawmaker urges Kyiv to develop nukes
According to YourNews, "Russia has repeatedly warned that NATO membership for Ukraine and any potential development of nuclear weapons by the country would cross its 'red lines.' The Kremlin views NATO's eastward expansion and the militarization of Ukraine as existential threats to its national security."
But such an issue is not a concern for People's Deputy (PD) Aleksey Goncharenko. The member of the Verkhovna Rada – Ukraine's parliament – urged Kyiv to develop nuclear weapons on its own as NATO membership alone is insufficient.
"NATO is a good thing. But NATO will not defend us, nuclear weapons would," the PD wrote on social media. "We should disregard everything and everyone and make the bomb. Then we'll figure things out."
Goncharenko's comments echo past calls by Ukrainian leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The comedian-turned-chief executive previously introduced the idea of nuclear weapons before retracting his remarks.
Even Western officials have reportedly discussed the possibility of arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons, only to walk back on the idea later. In the same vein, Washington has reiterated that it won't return nuclear weapons surrendered by Kyiv as part of the Budapest Memorandum in the fight against Moscow.
Outgoing National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday, Dec. 1, that the U.S. won't be giving nuclear weapons to Ukraine. "That is not under consideration," he said. "What we are doing is surging various conventional capacities to Ukraine so that they can effectively defend themselves and take the fight to the Russians, not [giving Ukraine] nuclear capability."
Sullivan added that he and the Biden administration will "do everything" in their power "to get Ukraine all the tools we possibly can to strengthen their position on the battlefield so that they’ll be stronger at the negotiating table."
Check out UkraineWitness.com for more stories about Ukraine.
Watch Josh Sigurdson of World Alternative Media discussing the idea of the West arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons in this clip.
This video is from the Mckenna channel on Brighteon.com.
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