Document from the “shelf”

December 5 marked 15 years since the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances was signed following Ukraine’s accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Ukrainian politicians and experts have recently held debates on the significance of this document. Some call it a “meaningless paper,” while others point out its efficiency.

What has Ukraine acquired by signing the Budapest Memorandum? Can this document help eliminate the security vacuum in which Ukraine has found itself, clutched between two military-political blocs. Ex-First Deputy of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Oleksandr CHALY, who was directly involved in the drafting of the Budapest Memorandum, has shared his opinions with The Day.