War and treaties

[ionelv]

As Russia fully attacked all of Ukraine, there was mention in the news of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in which supposedly US and UK provided Ukraine assurances of defending its borders. Here are its relevant parts (my emphasis added):

1. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine;

2. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations;

3-6. [Blah]

This Memorandum will become applicable upon signature.

[...]

For Ukraine: (Signed) Leonid D. KUCHMA

For the Russian Federation: (Signed) Boris N. YELTSIN

For the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: (Signed) John MAJOR

For the United States of America: (Signed) William J. CLINTON

To note that Clinton did not have the constitutional power to offer those empty promises is obvious, but few have frankly stated that it is worse than that: it was down right deceitful and unforgivable to sign such a worthless document.