DISINFO: Russia has never violated the provisions of the Budapest Memorandum
SUMMARY
Russia is not obliged to defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russia has never violated the provisions of the Budapest Memorandum since this document does not oblige the Russian Federation to "force a part of Ukraine" to remain in this country.
The provisions of this document do not apply to circumstances resulting from the actions of internal political or socio-economic factors. Russia did not undertake the obligation to force a part of Ukraine to remain in its composition against the will of the local population.
The accusations of violating the memorandum on security guarantees of Ukraine are groundless and this is a manifestation of anti-Russian propaganda. The annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia in 2014 was the only possible way to protect their vital interests against the background of the revelry of radical nationalist elements in Ukraine.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation aimed at justifying Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in February 2014.
The Budapest Memorandum is a document signed in December 1994 by Ukraine, Russia, the US and the UK. Under the memorandum, Ukraine promised to remove all Soviet-era nuclear weapons, which Ukraine received after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The arsenal Ukraine was left with was the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world, including intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. On 24 October 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a statement on the country's nuclear-free status. Three years later, Ukraine joined the nuclear non-proliferation treaties.
In exchange, the leaders of the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest memorandum with guarantees on the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. The Budapest memorandum says that no one of the countries that signed the document has the right to apply any kind of aggressive policy towards Ukraine. The second paragraph states that the signatories "reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine." That is, through the Budapest memorandum Russia pledged not to use any weapon against Ukraine, not just nuclear.
In this regard, Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the Kremlin's support of separatists in eastern Ukraine are a clear violation of the international memorandum.
The European External Action Service has also noted that Russia violated several agreements by its actions against Ukraine, including the Budapest Memorandum.
Pro-Kremlin media outlets have repeatedly tried to downgrade the significance of the Budapest Memorandum, claiming that the document is merely a political statement.
Crimea is an internationally recognised part of Ukraine.
No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.
The European Union does not recognise and continues to strongly condemn this violation of international law, which remains a challenge to the international security order. In response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, the EU has imposed restrictive measures against the Russian Federation. In June 2021, the European Council decided to renew the sanctions until 23 June 2022.
More about the myth "Crimea was always Russian" can be read here.