1 Apr 2014 17:30

Russia didn't violate Budapest Memorandum with regards to Ukraine - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. April 1 (Interfax) - Moscow rejects all claims it has violated its obligations under the Budapest Memorandum of December 5 1994.

"Concerning claims that Russia is demonstrating an unreliable nature of the concept of 'negative' security 'guarantees' for nonnuclear states, thus 'destroying' the nuclear nonproliferation regime, it should be underscored that the pledge not to use and not to threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states alone constitutes the common element of the Budapest Memorandum and of the 'negative guarantees' concept in its classical understanding. Russia has in no way violated this obligation with regards to Ukraine," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.