Editor,
A recent letter misinterprets the 1994 Budapest agreement between Ukraine, Russia and the United States. The writer claims “it required Ukraine to give up its weapons in return for Russia’s pledge not to invade Ukraine. It was little different than Prime Minister Chamberlain’s failed attempt to appease Hitler at Munich.”
Wrong twice. First, he omits a vital detail: “nuclear weapons.” After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine became a major nuclear power by inheriting former Soviet nukes stationed there. In the breakup chaos, our genuine fear was that terrorists or rogue states would acquire those weapons by theft or bribery. Imagine al-Qaida, Islamic State, Iran or Syria armed with them. Far from appeasement, Ukraine’s nuclear disarmament made the world much safer.
In return, Ukraine received security guarantees from Russia, the U.S. and the U.K. Obviously, Russia has reneged. Although the U.S. and U.K. are honoring their pledges, some conservatives want us to follow Russia’s lead by reneging, too. This betrayal would be the true appeasement. It would also cast all our alliances into doubt.
Would Russia have started this war if Ukraine had kept its nukes? Perhaps not. But if some of those weapons had leaked out, we might be mourning al-Qaida’s devastating nuclear attack on America on Sept. 11, 2001.
And what if Russia invaded Ukraine anyway, and Ukraine responded with nukes? Wouldn’t Russia retaliate? That outcome also looks worse to me.
Tom Halfhill
Burlingame
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(1) comment
Mr. Halfhill, your letter is an interesting thought experiment but ultimately does nothing to solve the here and now. I predict the desperation by Ukraine will result in worse outcomes. For instance, there are reports that Ukraine has taken responsibility for the assassination of a Russian defense chief in Moscow. An escalation that will likely result in targeted assassinations of Ukrainian personnel, perhaps including Zelensky. Folks may want to steer clear from hanging around him or other top-level Ukrainian officials.
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