On the day of the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine issued a firm statement rejecting any alternative security guarantees as substitutes for NATO membership. The declaration underscores Ukraine’s stance that full NATO membership is the only effective security guarantee against Russian aggression.
NATO Membership as the Sole Guarantee
The ministry’s statement, obtained by European Pravda, highlights Ukraine’s unequivocal position:
“We are convinced that the only real security guarantee for Ukraine, and the sole deterrent against further Russian aggression, is full NATO membership.”
The document reiterates Ukraine’s refusal to accept any alternative formats to NATO membership. Drawing on the experience of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, the statement emphasises that Ukraine will not agree to “alternatives, surrogates, or substitutes” for full NATO membership.
Security Agreements and NATO Membership
While Ukraine has signed several bilateral security agreements in 2024, the ministry clarified that these agreements are supplementary and do not replace NATO membership. The agreements aim to strengthen Ukraine’s security but fall short of the guarantees provided under NATO’s collective defence framework.
The Foreign Ministry called on signatories of the Budapest Memorandum — the United States, the United Kingdom, and France — as well as associated parties like China, to support Ukraine’s NATO membership. This support, the ministry argues, would serve as a countermeasure to Russia’s ongoing aggression and nuclear blackmail.
Broader Implications for Global Security
The statement connects Ukraine’s security to global nuclear disarmament efforts, noting that Russia’s invasion has undermined trust in agreements like the Budapest Memorandum. The attack, it asserts, has encouraged countries from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East to reconsider nuclear disarmament, potentially leading to the expansion of nuclear arsenals worldwide.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum, the ministry criticised the agreement as a “monument to shortsightedness” in strategic security decisions. The statement warns that any attempts to build European security at Ukraine’s expense are doomed to fail.
Timing and NATO Engagement
Although the official anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum is on 5 December, the ministry chose to release its statement on 3 December, coinciding with the NATO ministerial meeting. Sources indicate that Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha will present Ukraine’s position during the meeting in Brussels.
This meeting comes amidst discussions about Ukraine’s NATO accession. Recent remarks from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO with a modified application of Article 5, the collective defence clause. However, these proposals remain undefined.
Historical Context and Challenges
The Budapest Memorandum, signed in 1994, guaranteed Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in exchange for its nuclear disarmament. The Foreign Ministry criticised the memorandum for failing to prevent Russian aggression, highlighting its role as a nuclear-armed state violating the agreement.
The ministry’s statement reflects growing frustration with past international security frameworks that have left Ukraine vulnerable. By rejecting alternatives to NATO membership, Kyiv signals its commitment to securing a robust and reliable security framework to deter further aggression.
International Responses
The debate over Ukraine’s NATO membership and its security guarantees has drawn mixed reactions. While Ukraine’s Western allies, including the United States, support its sovereignty, they have not yet endorsed a definitive pathway to full NATO membership. Recently, U.S. officials ruled out the return of nuclear weapons to Ukraine’s arsenal, further complicating security considerations.
Image source: Wikipedia, U.S. President Clinton, Russian President Yeltsin, and Ukrainian President Kravchuk after signing the Trilateral Statement in Moscow on 14 January 1994
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