Zelenskyy recalls the Budapest Memorandum as he calls for security guarantees before any deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States had put forward a proposal under which Ukraine would make territorial concessions in exchange for security guarantees.

Speaking on Monday, Zelenskyy said Washington was encouraging Ukraine to abandon claims to territories currently occupied by Russia, while offering security guarantees in return.

“Our American friends are preparing security guarantees. But they said: first this exchange of territories, or something like that, and then security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said. “I believe security guarantees must come first.”

The Ukrainian president added that Ukraine is open to compromises, but that does not mean giving up the territories currently under Russian occupation. He argued that any agreement must not give Russia time and opportunity to regroup and return later with another attack.

Zelenskyy again cites the Budapest Memorandum

In his remarks, Zelenskyy also referred to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. Under the agreement, Ukraine gave up the Soviet-era nuclear weapons left on its territory after the collapse of the USSR in exchange for security assurances.

“We gave up our nuclear weapons and other weapons. Many planes – dozens. We gave them up and received guarantees of security, sovereignty and independence. In the end, we have none of those weapons, and we have no security guarantees. No one protected our independence,” he said, according to Anadolu Agency.

Zelenskyy has invoked the Budapest Memorandum repeatedly in recent years, arguing that the 1994 deal ultimately failed to provide real protection, and also said any new security guarantees would only be truly strong if they entered into force after approval by the US Congress.

Ukrainian officials say Russia already violated the spirit of the memorandum with the annexation of Crimea in 2014, while the full-scale invasion launched in 2022 demonstrated that written guarantees alone do not deter further aggression.

The future of Donbas and the occupied eastern territories

One of the most contentious issues in the current negotiations remains the long-term fate of eastern Ukraine. Russia is demanding that Kyiv withdraw its forces from the Donbas region, including heavily fortified cities located in areas rich in strategic natural resources.

Ukraine, on the other hand, has proposed freezing the conflict along the current front lines and has rejected a one-sided troop withdrawal. Kyiv says any settlement must include real, tangible security guarantees, otherwise Russia’s offensive could eventually be repeated.

In a previous article we wrote about a separate controversy involving Hungary, after remarks by a Ukrainian officer drew strong reactions:

• Radical Ukrainian officer targets Hungary: ‘We could be there in 2 minutes’

Meanwhile, military pressure is intensifying

According to Al Jazeera’s Monday situation report, military pressure continued to rise as the next round of talks was being prepared in Geneva.

Ukrainian leadership sources said that over the past week Russia launched around 1,300 drones, 1,200 guided aerial bombs and about 50 missiles at Ukraine.

Ukraine also carried out strikes in response. Kyiv said it launched a large-scale drone attack on Russian energy targets on Sunday.

The governor of Russia’s Bryansk region said more than 220 drones were shot down and the attack lasted more than 12 hours – describing it as the heaviest drone wave since the start of the war. In several places, heating was temporarily disrupted as a result.

Zelenskyy: No breakthrough so far

In the coming days, talks will continue in Geneva with representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States. Although both sides described the previous rounds as “constructive”, no breakthrough has been achieved, and the most disputed issues – territorial settlement, troop movements and security guarantees – remain unresolved.

Featured image: WhiteHouse.gov