«In December 1994, the leaders of the United States, Britain and Russia signed the Budapest memorandum on security assurances, which committed those countries to respect Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity and not use force against Ukraine. Those commitments paved the way for Kievs decision to give up about 1,900 strategic nuclear warheads, at the time the worlds third-largest nuclear arsenal. Moscow has grossly violated the Budapest memorandum by its seizure of Crimea and assaults on Ukraine. The United States and Britain have an obligation to respond. Last Friday, former President Leonid Kuchma, who signed the Budapest memorandum for Ukraine, suggested his country had been cheated. That reflects general sentiment in Kiev.»
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 01:31:30 +0000