AN UNLEARNED LESSON FOR ALL FREE NATIONS: NEVER RELY ON SECURITY GUARANTEES / DON'T LET THE FOX GUARD YOUR HEN HOUSE: THE WORTHLESS 1994 BUDAPEST MEMORANDUM ON SECURITY ASSURANCE FOR UKRAINE
Vol. I | Issue. 72 | March 7, 2022
With history, it's always Deja Vu all over again... There is one nightmare in particular that always comes back to haunt us. This nightmare is either one that threatens just the nations involved, or far worse, brings the World to the brink.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a clear example of the latter; The World is now on the brink.
The seeds were sown for the current disaster in the mind of Vladimir Putin back in 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved along with her empire of vassal states. Putin, based upon his patchwork of writings, quotations, and public record, has yearned to get his Empire back from the inception of its demise.
At that time, The West was beating its chest and touting the U.S. as the World’s "Sole Remaining Superpower”. America was cheerleading for itself and neglected to check the rearview mirror of Russian history when forcing Ukraine, then holding the world’s third-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, to give them up.
Why would Ukraine do such a foolish thing knowing that Russia had, for centuries, laid claim to Ukraine as its own and the Ukrainian people as being full-fledged Russians with no other proper identity?
The Ukrainians gave up their nuclear security for a worthless piece of toilet paper known as The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances. They were suckered/forced into doing so because to resist based upon the zeitgeist of the time, combined with the oleaginous charm of Bill Clinton, and would have appeared to be anti-peace and anti-western had they refused to do so.
The Budapest Memorandum forcing the abandonment of their nukes left Ukraine effectively defenseless against Russia. Most sickeningly, Russia was one of the five signatories to the agreement. I can't think of a better historical example of The Fox guarding the Henhouse. Russia couldn't or most likely would never have invaded a nuclear Ukraine. However, in 1994, Ukraine was a fledgling independent nation reaching out to the civilized world after 74 years of Soviet slavery and trusted that worthless piece of paper to GUARANTEE THEIR SECURITY.
Just as the “Peace In Our Time” Security Assurances of England failed Czechoslovakia in 1939, allowing Hitler to roll in without any effective resistance, the Budapest Memorandum has predictably proven to be worthless regarding the Security of Ukraine.
This one is not only worthless, but with Russia as a party, it is the same as the old Mafia protection racket…
Mobster to store owner: “This is a nice joint you got here… It would be a shame if anything happened to it. Pay me, and we’ll make sure nothing does.”
Russia to Ukraine in 1994: “Nice new country you got there, give us your nukes and we'll protect you... We've got Bill Clinton with us to guarantee your safety...”
International "guarantees” are “worthless”. No nation can or will guarantee the safety, security, or sovereignty of another nation.
The West has never learned this lesson and that is why we have been doomed to repeat the mistakes of our collective past. Western nations, since the end of WWII, have been under pressure to cede their sovereignty and often too feckless evil organizations like the UN.
No nation should ever cede its right or ability to defend itself.
Any nation that relies on third-party international SECURITY GUARANTEES to the exclusion of its own ability to defend itself is guaranteed to have a Fox knocking at its door and maybe eaten alive…
-Emes