On Sunday, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” with host Margaret Brennan to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During the segment, Brennan asked Markarova to explain why, in her view, Americans should be concerned about this conflict.
Markarova replied, saying that Ukraine is a “peaceful democracy” that did nothing to provoke Russian aggression, but is facing it anyway. As such, she argued, Russian aggression might not be limited to Ukraine.
The ambassador continued, referencing the Budapest Memorandum:
We have to stop him because again, it’s not just some conflict, it’s not just some regional problem. It’s a full-fledged war that a nuclear large power that actually signed [an] assurances, together with the United States and Great Britain when we denuclearized Ukraine voluntarily in 1994 – signed … gave us assurances not to attack us. So, we are first, and we need to stop Putin and this criminal war in Ukraine, rather than waiting until we all together will have to fight it everywhere.
The agreement Markarova referenced was signed in 1994 by Russia, the U.K., and the United States. The Budapest Memorandum offered a series of assurances to Ukraine after the fall of the USSR if it were to hand over its Soviet nuclear weapons.
Those assurances stated that the signees would “respect the Independence and Sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine”; “reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine…” and “reaffirm their commitment to seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to Ukraine … if Ukraine should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used,” among other declarations.
.@OMarkarova says that more than just the sovereignty of Ukraine is at risk after Russia’s invasion. “Then Europe and the whole world is not safe,” she tells @margbrennan. pic.twitter.com/0OO8ylsjYX
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 6, 2022
TRANSCRIPT:
BRENNAN: You attended the State of the Union last week as a guest of the first lady. The president addressed this country talking about Ukraine. That’s very different for the American people to hear. How do you explain to the American people why this $10 billion in aid that President Biden is asking for, why should U.S. taxpayers be concerned and invested in your country?
MARKAROVA: Well, Ukraine didn’t do anything to be attacked. We didn’t provoke Russia; we didn’t do anything. We were not a threat to Russia unless being a peaceful democracy and just peacefully living in your own country is a threat. And if it’s so, then it’s not only about Ukraine, then Europe and the whole world is not safe. I mean, we see President Putin threatening everyone with all the forces, including the nuclear force. We have to stop him because again, it’s not just some conflict, it’s not just some regional problem. It’s a full-fledged war that a nuclear large power that actually signed [an] assurances, together with the United States and Great Britain when we denuclearized Ukraine voluntarily in 1994 – signed … gave us assurances not to attack us. So, we are first, and we need to stop Putin and this criminal war in Ukraine, rather than waiting until we all together will have to fight it everywhere.