war, we here by confirm the following. including this commitment. to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of ukraine, to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of ukraine. we signed this in 1994 along with great britain and ukraine and russia. that was the deal. you give up your nukes, they had thousands of nuclear weapons. they had more nuclear weapons than china and france and britain combined. you give up your thousands of nuclear weapons, you get to be your own country and everybody is going to respect your borders. that was the deal. we all signed on to it in 1994. it s still in effect. on friday, russia invaded ukraine. and this document from december, 1994, this is a legally binding document. it s not just some resolution of intent or something. this is not a feel good sort of thing. this was a formal agreement that these four nations were bound to.
when they got rid of their nuclear weapons, they opened economic, diplomatic and political ties with europe and with the western world. that was part of the deal. but in military terms, they got something really, really specific. this is the military deal they signed in december, 1994. they call it the budapest memorandum. and it is a formal agreement signed by ukraine and russia and us and great britain. and it says essentially because you, ukraine, have so kindly agreed to get rid of all those nuclear weapons that the soviets left behind, we agree to leave you alone to be your own country. the budapest memorandum is kind of amazing. it s a very short agreement. and the wording is very much to the point. look at this. welcoming the asession of ukraine to the treaty on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons as a nonnuclear weapons state, taking into account the commitment to eliminate all nuclear weapons in its territory, noting the changes in the worldwide security situation
including the end of the cold war, we here by confirm the following. including this commitment. to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of ukraine, to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of ukraine. we signed this in 1994 along with great britain and ukraine and russia. that was the deal. you give up your nukes, they had thousands of nuclear weapons. they had more nuclear weapons than china and france and britain combined. you give up your thousands of nuclear weapons, you get to be your own country and everybody is going to respect your borders. that was the deal. we all signed on to it in 1994. it s still in effect. on friday, russia invaded ukraine. and this document from december, 1994, this is a legally binding document. it s not just some resolution of intent or something. this is not a feel good sort of thing. this was a formal agreement that these four nations were bound to.
time, even though they didn t formally join nato. they started a formal partnership with the north american treaty alliance. when they got rid of their nuclear weapons, they opened economic, diplomatic and political ties with europe and with the western world. that was part of the deal. but in military terms, they got something really, really specific. this is the military deal they signed in december, 1994. they call it the budapest memorandum. and it is a formal agreement signed by ukraine and russia and us and great britain. and it says essentially because you, ukraine, have so kindly agreed to get rid of all those nuclear weapons that the soviets left behind, we agree to leave you alone to be your own country. the budapest memorandum is kind of amazing. it s a very short agreement. and the wording is very much to the point. look at this. welcoming the asession of ukraine to the treaty on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons as a nonnuclear weapons state, taking into account the
commitment to eliminate all nuclear weapons in its territory, noting the changes in the worldwide security situation including the end of the cold war, we here by confirm the following. including this commitment. to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of ukraine, to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of ukraine. we signed this in 1994 along with great britain and ukraine and russia. that was the deal. you give up your nukes, they had thousands of nuclear weapons. they had more nuclear weapons than china and france and britain combined. you give up your thousands of nuclear weapons, you get to be your own country and everybody is going to respect your borders. that was the deal. we all signed on to it in 1994. it s still in effect. on friday, russia invaded ukraine. and this document from december, 1994, this is a legally binding document. it s not just some resolution of