Russia does not want expansion of ‘Budapest format’– Umland

 Andreas Umland, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for European Security at the Institute of International Relations Prague, made a corresponding statement on the sidelines of panel discussion at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum signing.

"I think it's worth working on. But the problem with this ‘Budapest format’ is that it provides for participation of Russia. And Russia simply refuses to participate in such a format. However, in my opinion, there is a need to work with other signatories, the US and Great Britain, France and China,” the expert said, commenting on the possibility of expanding the range of official participants in the peace process by involving the guarantors of the Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine's Accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (signed in 1994 in Budapest).

The political scientist believes it might be worthwhile to promote such a format through the lens of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, since the Budapest Memorandum deals with this international act: "It is necessary to say that the whole logic of the nuclear non-proliferation regime is being violated."

"It is necessary to explain to governments and non-governmental organizations the actual explosiveness of the situation for the whole global nuclear security system which emerged in connection with the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the war in Donbas," Umland added.

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