Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin to Interfax-Ukraine:

 

I've read the statement of the head of the Russian foreign office that the Russian Federation allegedly didn't violate its commitments under the Budapest memorandum. Once again I've got convinced that the Russian side reads international treaties in a specific manner - same as Minsk Agreement, the Budapest Memorandum was read by Moscow from the end and very much selectively.

The Russian Federation indeed has not officially threatened Ukraine with usage of nuclear weapons, not yet. Although the threat of placing such weapons in the occupied Crimea poses a serious challenge to international peace and security.

I propose to all the representatives of the Russian authorities to read carefully the entire text of the Budapest Memorandum and make sure that it does not consist only of the clauses four and five that mention nuclear weapons.

The Russian Federation has violated all the other clauses. It continues to violate Clause 1 of the Budapest Memorandum, under which it committed to respect the independence, sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine.

Russia violated and further violates Clause 2 of the Memorandum, under which it reaffirmed that none of its weapons would ever be used against Ukraine.

Furthermore, the Russian Federation on a regular basis over the past few years consistently breaks Clause 3 of the Budapest Memorandum, carrying out economic coercion "designed to subordinate to its own interest the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty.

Pursuant to today's statement of the official representative of the Russian Federation on "question arising as of obligations" according to Clause 6 of the Budapest Memorandum, we again offer to hold consultations with the participation of all the Budapest Memorandum countries. Unfortunately, all of our previous proposals to convene such consultations were ignored by Russia. For a signatory, which is sure that it does not violate the Memorandum, why there is a concern about such consultations?

I am sure that this will be a great opportunity for the representatives of the Russian authorities to read the text of the Memorandum from the very beginning to the end.