NPR - Assurance, not Guarantee

[Light63]

https://www.npr.org/2014/03/09/288298641/the-role-of-1994-nuclear-agreement-in-ukraines-current-state

”PIFER: There's a very important reason why it's the Budapest Memorandum of Assurances and not of guarantees. And we were very clear - and the Ukrainians understood this back in 1994 - that we were not going to use the word guarantee because we were not prepared to extend a military commitment.”

“RATH: So looking across the world, Moammar Gadhafi gave up his nuclear program. And then several years later, he ends up getting overthrown and killed. Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons for these guarantees, and they end up getting ignored, it seems, over the last couple of weeks.”

I am so sorry to read this article. So it was never a guarantee but just an assurance that the US would try to protect Ukraine from Russia’s invasion. I have been pondering the reason why the US has not intervened by military force since it also signed the agreement in 1994. So Ukraine gave up its nuclear capability just for an assurance and now has to pay fatally for its political naivety!

[bucolic_frolic]

1. "the reason why the US has not intervened by military force"

Uh, maybe they don't want to escalate to a nuclear war? Just, maybe?

Plus, the article cited is 8 years old, and thus fails to consider the current situation in Ukraine.

[SheltieLover]

2. Guessing Ukraine perceived this as a guarantee vs

Maybe, if it's ok with your attacker.