Budapest Memorandum

The Budapest Memorandum is a 1994 agreement in which Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., and the UK committed to respecting Ukraine's independence and sovereignty after Ukraine agreed to give up its nuclear weapons. In return, they promised to protect Ukraine's borders and not threaten or use force against it. The memorandum is a diplomatic assurance, not a formal treaty, meaning its legal enforceability is limited. Despite this, it represented international recognition of Ukraine's sovereignty, but its effectiveness came into question when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, breaching the agreement.