Budapest Memorandum
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Search complete. 43 mentions across 30 episodes found for "Budapest Memorandum".
Oct 17, 2026
McGraw MilhavenHOST
Let's go back to 1994.
McGraw MilhavenHOST
Budapest Memorandum.
McGraw MilhavenHOST
In 1994, Ukraine signed a memorandum, uh, that agreed to give up its massive inherited nuclear Soviet arsenal, then the third largest in the world, to become a non-nuclear state.
McGraw MilhavenHOST
In exchange for giving up the nuclear arsenal, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia signed security assurances, not a guarantee, but an assurance, promising to respect Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and existing borders, and to refrain from using military force or economic coercion against it.
Ihor HarchenkoGUEST
And from time to time, I'm asking myself and the wider public, how much does the signature of the American president cost? Because I've seen signatures of American presidents, including President Bill Clinton in Budapest, 1994.
Ihor HarchenkoGUEST
I was there, and I saw him signing the Budapest Memorandum, which openly reads that the signatory states, including the United States, United Kingdom, Russia at the time Boris Yeltsin was in the hall, will respect territorial integrity of this country of Ukraine, which had renounced the third biggest nuclear weapons potential in the world.
Ihor HarchenkoGUEST
So my question is simple.
Ihor HarchenkoGUEST
How much does that signature of the president of the United States cost? In which lives? Yes.
Chris CermakHOST
And was that something you remember asking yourself at the time? Or did you imagine at that point when the Budapest Memorandum was signed that the signature of an American president would mean that Ukraine's security was guaranteed?
Ihor HarchenkoGUEST
That's a trick about guarantee and assurance, because Budapest Memorandum speaks about assurances.
Ihor HarchenkoGUEST
But in the nightmare scenario...
Ihor HarchenkoGUEST
Would anyone imagine that the United States, the leading power of the democratic free world, would side itself, as we are witnessing now, with the aggressor? It is something incomprehensible in Ukraine.
Nick FreitasHOST
Um, but I think in order to do that, one of the first things that we have to mention is, um, again, what obligations, if any, does the United States have to Ukraine? And, and this is the part where, again, I, I think some people that have been critical of, um, Donald Trump ha-have a point, because I want the United States to stand by its word, right? I want the United States to stand by its word, but we have to understand what was actually signed.
Nick FreitasHOST
So signed on December 5th, 1994, the Budapest Memorandum committed the US, UK, and Russia to A, respect Ukraine's independent sovereignty within its existing borders, refrain from the threat or use of military force against Ukraine, and seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to assist Ukraine if it became the victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used.
Nick FreitasHOST
And again, this was in part because we were asking Ukraine to hand over their nuclear arsenal after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Nick FreitasHOST
Now The important thing to understand here is there's differences between assurances versus guarantees, and this is, this is not wordplay.
Nick FreitasHOST
Why was that okay? Now you, you can definitely point out to obvious differences that the second time that Russia went into Ukraine, they didn't just take a piece of territory even though we knew that they wanted the Donbas, which is largely Russian-speaking.
Nick FreitasHOST
Uh, that doesn't mean it's okay for them to take it.
Nick FreitasHOST
It's still a violation of the Budapest Memorandum.
Nick FreitasHOST
But they actually went in and, and they were trying to take over large swaths of the Ukraine.
John FugelsangGUEST
He doesn't want America first, he wants us to be the unpaid concierge for Vladimir Putin.
John FugelsangGUEST
Now, now again, Budapest Memorandum, 1994, America signed it, Britain signed it, Russia signed it.
John FugelsangGUEST
If Ukraine gave up their nukes, we'd protect them forever from any invasions.
John FugelsangGUEST
So this is impeachable right now.
John FugelsangGUEST
He wants us to be the unpaid concierge for Vladimir Putin.
John FugelsangGUEST
Now, now again, Budapest Memorandum, 1994, America signed it, Britain signed it, Russia signed it.
John FugelsangGUEST
If Ukraine gave up their nukes, we'd protect them forever from any invasions.
John FugelsangGUEST
So this is impeachable right now.
Scott JenningsPANELIST
I mean-
Isaiah MartinPANELIST
And we also have the Budapest Memorandum, which I know you're very well aware, aware of.
Isaiah MartinPANELIST
We have the reality that there was a promise that in order for Ukraine to give up their nuclear weapons, the United States would go and defend them against Russian aggression.
Isaiah MartinPANELIST
That is exactly why we're going and we're supporting.
Freddie FelthamHOST
I mean, do you think NATO is fit for purpose? Is it something that we, we, we want to be part of that security architecture? Or is that...
Freddie FelthamHOST
Because I, I think Ukraine's an interesting case in point, right? Because if you look at Ukraine from 1994, Budapest Memorandum, they give up their nukes, right, on the proviso that they're going to have safety from the UK, the US, and Russia, right? And then 2008, they want to join NATO, they're vetoed from being able to join.
Freddie FelthamHOST
2010, they say they're non-aligned.
Freddie FelthamHOST
Like ostensibly they tried everything.
Stephen AllenHOST
And every single time I have to bring this up 'cause no one else would.
Stephen AllenHOST
There was that Budapest Memorandum where Ukraine had nuclear weapons, and as part of an agreement, it was, "Don't worry, you will be provided with security if you give up the nukes." They gave up the nukes.
Stephen AllenHOST
They got invaded twice.
Stephen AllenHOST
And now people are saying, "Well, you can't use Elon Musk's satellite.
Simon PetersonHOST
Makes sense, I guess.
Simon PetersonHOST
Then, on the 5th of December 1994, we got the signing of the Budapest Memorandum.
Simon PetersonHOST
This memorandum was a promise in exchange for Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, formerly Byelorussia, surrendering their Soviet nukes to Russia.
Simon PetersonHOST
Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom were prohibited from threatening or using military force or economic coercion against them.
Jason Jay SmartHOST
They go, "Look how weak they are." They say that, "Oh, we're gonna be there for each other like Three Musketeers." The fact is, [laughs] you're not gonna do that.
Jason Jay SmartHOST
Now, let's remember Russia, though, has historically also shown itself, uh, in its international agreements, like the one that had Budapest Memorandum, where Ukraine gave up its nukes.
Jason Jay SmartHOST
In exchange for that, uh, it was promised that there would be a multi-party, that is United States, UK, and others, would come to its defense or assist it.
Jason Jay SmartHOST
I should be careful on the wording, is not to defend but rather to assist Ukraine should it ever be attacked by Russia.
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