Ukraine at OSCE again urges Russia to implement Budapest Memorandum

"We urge the Russian side to restore its full compliance with the Budapest Memorandum by ending its aggression and de-occupying Ukraine's sovereign territories, as well as compensating for the damage caused to Ukraine," Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna Ihor Lossovskyi said during a meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on July 8, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

According to the diplomat, the neglect of security guarantees provided to Ukraine "undermines and erodes the global efforts to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons and to ensure progress in global nuclear disarmament." Russia's fulfilment of its obligations under the Budapest Memorandum will remedy this situation and strengthen European security and non-proliferation regimes, Lossovskyi added.

"Over the years, Ukraine has established a strong reputation as a contributor to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. We gave up all highly enriched uranium stockpiles and voluntarily renounced the vast arsenal of nuclear weapons inherited from the former Soviet Union in exchange for the guarantees under the Budapest Memorandum on security, territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine's borders. Instead, two decades later, Ukraine was deceived and its territorial integrity and sovereignty were grossly violated by one of the guarantor states," Lossovskyi stressed.

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