Zelensky Criticizes Ukraine's 1994 Nuclear Disarmament as 'Foolish'

The Ukrainian president calls for stronger U.S. military support and NATO guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed regret over Ukraine's decision to relinquish its nuclear weapons in 1994, calling it a mistake that emboldened Russian aggression.
Zelensky stated that the security guarantees offered in the Budapest Memorandum by the U.S., U.K., and Russia failed to protect Ukraine, particularly during the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict since 2022.
In a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, Zelensky emphasized the need for strong military support and binding security assurances to ensure long-term peace with Russia.
Zelensky argued that NATO membership and its collective defense framework would have been a more effective deterrent against Russian aggression than the 1994 agreement.
Fighting continues in Eastern Ukraine, with heavy clashes reported near Pokrovsk and in the Kursk region, underscoring the ongoing intensity of the conflict.