From: Newsweek By Yevgeny Kuklychev Senior Editor, Russia and Ukraine
As Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine continues, it is taking a huge toll on the Russian economy, but Western sanctions—and Moscow’s countermeasures—have also hurt European economies.
As a result, there is a growing chorus of voices across Europe and the U.S. calling for a compromise solution, one that could potentially include “security guarantees” for Russia.
The latest such sentiment, voiced by French President Emmanuel Macron, was widely rebuked by Ukrainian officials, who pointed to the Budapest Memorandum and its outcomes in their response.
But what exactly was this document, and did Ukraine really voluntarily give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for independence after the Soviet Union collapsed?
Voice of Ukraine 