Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament and the Limits of the Budapest Memorandum

Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal amid sovereignty assurances associated with the Budapest Memorandum, yet those assurances did not prevent its sovereignty from being violated. That is a hard lesson for anyone who mistakes solemn language for protection: good intentions may be welcome, but they cannot stand watch at a border.

At a church-basement potluck, a handshake is enough to settle who brought the green beans. It is not a border guard. Peace deserves more than polished paper and grateful applause; it deserves honest attention to what assurances can—and cannot—protect. May those who make promises remember that the people living with the consequences are not footnotes.