 |
| Getty Images/Michael Kovac |
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has said he feels a "personal stake" in Ukraine's war with Russia because of his role in persuading Kyiv to surrender nuclear weapons in the aftermath of the Cold War.
"I feel a personal stake because I got them [Ukraine] to agree to give up their nuclear weapons," Clinton told Irish broadcaster RTÉ. "None of them believe that Russia would have pulled this stunt if Ukraine still had their weapons," he said.
Ukraine retained a stockpile of nuclear weapons after the Soviet Union collapsed. In 1994, Ukraine gave up these nuclear weapons, although Kyiv did not have definitive control over Soviet nuclear weapons before signing up for non-proliferation.
Some Ukrainians have expressed the belief that Moscow would not have ordered its troops over the border into the country in February 2022 had Ukraine held onto these weapons. Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko previously told Fox News as full-scale war broke out that "Ukraine is the only nation in human history which gave up the nuclear arsenal, the third biggest in the world in 1994."
Kyiv did so "with guarantees of the U.S., the U.K., and the Russian Federation," Goncharenko added. "Where are these guarantees? Now we are bombed and killed." --->READ MORE HERE
| Wikimedia |
Former US President Bill Clinton said that he regrets pressuring Ukraine to give up its nuclear warheads in a high-stakes negotiation in 1994.
In an interview with Irish news service RTÉ released on Tuesday, Clinton said that he felt a "personal stake" in Ukraine's fragile territorial integrity. He said he believed that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in 2014, and in 2022, had the weapons still been in the country — a position that a Soviet historian echoed to Insider.
"I feel a personal stake because I got them [Ukraine] to agree to give up their nuclear weapons," Clinton said. "And none of them believe that Russia would have pulled this stunt if Ukraine still had their weapons."
In 1994, the US helped broker the Budapest Memorandum, with former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, and former Ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk, with the intention of getting rid of nuclear weapons that were still stationed on Ukraine's territory after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The US also negotiated agreements for Russia to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and borders, which Clinton said was also shortsighted. Specifically, in 2014, Russia violated its promise that it would not challenge Ukraine's borders after the invasion of Crimea.
According to the Wall Street Journal, in 1994, Clinton eventually offered Kravchuk $700 million and "strong security assurances" for the disarmament of the nuclear weapons.
"I knew that President Putin did not support the agreement President Yeltsin made never to interfere with Ukraine's territorial boundaries — an agreement he made because he wanted Ukraine to give up their nuclear weapons," Clinton said in the interview. "They were afraid to give them up because they thought that's the only thing that protected them from an expansionist Russia." --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:
+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++
+++++I'm to blame for Russia's invasion: Bill Clinton admits 'terrible' mistake in forcing Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons in 1994 - and Putin would not have attacked if they still had them+++++
+++++Ukraine trains 40,000 storm brigade troops for counter-offensive+++++
Ukraine's 'Drone Army' procures 3,200 drones in first 9 months
Ex-Putin protection officer who fled Russia describes president as paranoid ‘war criminal’ fearful of assassination
Border guards in Bakhmut repel assault of 6 Wagner units and fight for every house
Russia’s Vladimir Putin Blames U.S. for War in Ukraine
West Must Prepare for Total ‘Collapse’ and Fragmentation of Russia, Warns Ukrainian Security Chief
Zelensky Visits Poland, Urges More Military Support for Ukraine
Deputy defense minister: Russia conducting mass deforestation in occupied territories
Ukraine's Zelenskiy hails ties as Poland vows further support
Poll: 94% of Ukrainians have negative view of Russia, Belarus ranks second worst
Six Spanish Leopard tanks to leave to Ukraine in second half of April
Russia’s Aircraft Need Maintenance They Can No Longer Get
Duda: Poland to provide Ukraine with at least 14 MiG-29 fighter jets
Air Force: Russia's supply of long-range, high-precision missiles 'nearly' used up
If you like what you see, please "Like" and/or Follow us on FACEBOOK here, GETTR here, and TWITTER here.
No comments:
Post a Comment