MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. Russia asserts that addressing the NATO expansion issue through military or political means is essential; without such a resolution, a settlement regarding Ukraine cannot be achieved. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized this point in response to allegations from Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky accusing Russia of violating the Budapest Memorandum.

"Ukraine's official renunciation in the 1990s of its neutral and non-aligned status – one of the pillars of its international recognition – constitutes a breach of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum," Zakharova stated. "The unchecked expansion of NATO right up to our borders, including Ukraine, has become one of the fundamental causes of the current conflict. Until this issue is addressed, a resolution is impossible. Russia will pursue its objectives through both military and political avenues. We have already proposed various options."

She recalled that, under the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine agreed to transfer its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal to Russia and became a non-nuclear state, with security guarantees from Russia, the United States, and Britain. "Alongside the memorandum, leaders of Russia, Britain, the United States, and Ukraine adopted a joint statement reaffirming commitments under the OSCE aimed at countering aggressive nationalism and chauvinism. It is evident that Ukraine has failed to fulfill these commitments and, over the years, has tolerated the rise of aggressive nationalism, which eventually led to the self-determination referendums in Crimea, the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, resulting in their accession to Russia," she added.

Zakharova emphasized that Ukraine's loss of territorial integrity stems from complex internal processes unrelated to Russia or its obligations under the Budapest Memorandum. "There is no basis for claiming Russia violated this agreement," she clarified.

Ukraine in breach of friendship treaty

Addressing the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership signed in 1997, Zakharova pointed out that Moscow and Kiev were bound by this legally significant document, which governed Ukraine's secession from a unified state with Russia. Prior to the special military operation, Ukraine systematically violated the treaty's provisions – an ongoing pattern of breaches that ultimately prompted Russia to launch the military operation," she explained. Furthermore, she noted that Ukraine's constitutional move toward full NATO membership directly contravenes the treaty's terms.

Zakharova criticized Kiev's and its Western allies' selective memory regarding treaty violations, stating, "While Ukraine accuses Russia of breaching the Budapest Memorandum, it conveniently overlooks its own long-standing violations of this fundamental bilateral agreement. To date, no international body has addressed Ukraine's breaches of the Russia-Ukraine Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership – violations that largely precipitated the current conflict." She concluded by reaffirming that the objectives of the Russian military operation remain relevant and will ultimately be achieved, as repeatedly affirmed by the Russian leadership.