Lavrov lied about Russia's implementation of the terms of the Budapest Memorandum

The odious politician spoke about this in an interview with the Hungarian YouTube channel "Ultrahang".

There (the Budapest Memorandum — ed.) it says that Ukraine, like other former Soviet republics that have renounced nuclear weapons, will receive the guarantees that nuclear powers provide to non-nuclear states. That's it. That's all. These guarantees say that nuclear weapons will not be used against non-nuclear states that are parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Lavrov justifies Russia's actions by saying that, in parallel with the Budapest Memorandum, the same parties signed a declaration that spelled out their obligations to adhere to OSCE principles, including minority rights, democracy, and freedom of speech.

The Memorandum on Security Assurances in Connection with Ukraine's Accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Budapest Memorandum) was signed on December 5, 1994.

Its text states, in particular, that the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States "confirm to Ukraine their commitment... to respect the independence and sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine."

They also reaffirm their commitment "to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that no weapons of theirs will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defense or in any other manner in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations."

The signatories "confirm to Ukraine their commitment... to refrain from economic pressure aimed at subordinating to their own interests the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus obtaining any advantages."

It is obvious that Russia has grossly violated these points of the Budapest Memorandum, carrying out aggression against Ukraine since 2014, and starting a full-scale invasion since 2022.