Ukraine declares NATO membership as sole security guarantee

As NATO foreign ministers convene in Brussels, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a clear statement rejecting any security arrangements that fall short of full NATO membership.

The declaration, made public on the opening day of the ministerial meeting, emphasizes that only NATO membership can serve as a credible deterrent against Russian aggression.

“We are convinced that the only real security guarantee for Ukraine, and a deterrent to further Russian aggression against Ukraine and other states, is full NATO membership,” the statement read.

The document stresses that Ukraine unequivocally rejects alternative security formats, citing the shortcomings of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which failed to prevent Russian military actions against Ukraine. “Having experienced the bitter lessons of the Budapest Memorandum, we will not agree to any alternatives, surrogates, or substitutes for full NATO membership,” the MFA noted.

The statement also reflects on recent agreements Ukraine has signed with other nations in 2024, clarifying that while these agreements address immediate security needs, they are not intended as replacements for NATO membership.

Addressing key signatories of the Budapest Memorandum—namely the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia—Ukraine’s MFA called for immediate political support for its NATO aspirations. Such support, it argued, would act as an effective countermeasure to Russian coercion.

“This is not just about Ukrainian or European security,” the MFA added. “Russia’s violation of the 1994 agreements has undermined trust in the concept of nuclear disarmament itself, prompting nations worldwide to reconsider or expand their nuclear capabilities.”

The timing of the statement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum’s signing, a document that pledged security assurances to Ukraine in exchange for relinquishing its nuclear arsenal. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha is expected to present this position formally during NATO’s ministerial session in Brussels.

Ukraine’s MFA described the Budapest Memorandum as “a monument to short-sightedness in strategic security decisions” and reiterated that European security must include, not exclude, Ukrainian interests to ensure stability.