What about ATACMS? Leopard Tanks? They too should have been sent last year and been operational by now. Biden, Macron, Scholz et al were too slow.
Here's some info on the Budapest Memorandum: "The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances comprises three substantially identical political agreements signed at the OSCE conference in Budapest, Hungary, on 5 December 1994, to provide security assurances by its signatories relating to the accession of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The three memoranda were originally signed by three nuclear powers: the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.[1] China and France gave somewhat weaker individual assurances in separate documents.[2]
The memoranda, signed in Patria Hall at the Budapest Convention Center with US Ambassador Donald M. Blinken amongst others in attendance,[3] prohibited the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States from threatening or using military force or economic coercion against Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, "except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations." As a result of other agreements and the memorandum, between 1993 and 1996, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons.[4][5]" (Wiki)
(1) Russia violated this Memorandum by invading, of course; and (2) the US and UK, which made Ukraine give up its Nuclear Weapons - to Russia - were bound to guarantee Ukraine's security in the event of an invasion, per this Memorandum. Good that they've sent some weapons, but it's been much too slow imo.
Here's some info on the Budapest Memorandum: "The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances comprises three substantially identical political agreements signed at the OSCE conference in Budapest, Hungary, on 5 December 1994, to provide security assurances by its signatories relating to the accession of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The three memoranda were originally signed by three nuclear powers: the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.[1] China and France gave somewhat weaker individual assurances in separate documents.[2]
The memoranda, signed in Patria Hall at the Budapest Convention Center with US Ambassador Donald M. Blinken amongst others in attendance,[3] prohibited the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States from threatening or using military force or economic coercion against Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, "except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations." As a result of other agreements and the memorandum, between 1993 and 1996, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons.[4][5]" (Wiki)
(1) Russia violated this Memorandum by invading, of course; and (2) the US and UK, which made Ukraine give up its Nuclear Weapons - to Russia - were bound to guarantee Ukraine's security in the event of an invasion, per this Memorandum. Good that they've sent some weapons, but it's been much too slow imo.
