This is why everybody and their brother wants nuclear weapons, it's the only fear your neighbors respect, i.e. mutually assured destruction. Ukraine gave their nukes up in exchange for security guaranties that failed to materialize in any meaningful way from signatories to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
The world would not be in its present mess if the signatories had followed through and honored its security commitments to Ukraine.
Russia plays their nuke card constantly to keep the world in fear.
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Budapest Memorandum, signed on December 5, 1994
Key Provisions:
The memorandum included several key commitments from the signatory states:
Respect for Sovereignty: The signatories reaffirmed their commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan within their existing borders.
Refrain from Threats: The United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom pledged to refrain from the threat or use of force against these countries, except in self-defense or in accordance with the UN Charter.
This is why everybody and their brother wants nuclear weapons, it's the only fear your neighbors respect, i.e. mutually assured destruction. Ukraine gave their nukes up in exchange for security guaranties that failed to materialize in any meaningful way from signatories to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
The world would not be in its present mess if the signatories had followed through and honored its security commitments to Ukraine.
Russia plays their nuke card constantly to keep the world in fear.
=============================================================
Budapest Memorandum, signed on December 5, 1994
Key Provisions:
The memorandum included several key commitments from the signatory states:
Respect for Sovereignty: The signatories reaffirmed their commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan within their existing borders.
Refrain from Threats: The United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom pledged to refrain from the threat or use of force against these countries, except in self-defense or in accordance with the UN Charter.