suspected apprehension regarding Budapest for Zelensky-Putin negotiations; reference to 1994 memorandum as grounds for Tusk's skepticism
In a significant development, the United States has offered security guarantees for Ukraine, including possible air support, if a peace deal is reached between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. However, the specific details of these proposed talks are yet to be revealed.
The initial plan for the multilateral discussions was for them to take place in a neutral country. French President Emmanuel Macron proposed Geneva, Switzerland, as a potential location. Yet, the White House is reportedly considering Budapest for the talks, a suggestion that has sparked controversy and concern.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has expressed his reservations about the potential location, citing historical irony and a sense of superstition. He points out that Ukraine already received assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia, and the UK in Budapest in 1994, in a treaty known as the Budapest Memorandum. This treaty was signed in exchange for Kyiv giving up its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal.
Tusk's concerns are not unfounded. Russia breached the Budapest Memorandum by illegally annexing Crimea and occupying parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014, representing an even greater violation of the treaty. The Kyivpost, a source for coverage of the war, has reported these developments extensively.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has responded to the discussions of security guarantees, stating that any talk of such guarantees without Russia and its ally China is "a utopia, a path to nowhere."
Adding another layer of complexity to the situation is the potential involvement of Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, who has ties to US President Donald Trump. However, the exact nature of their ties is not specified in the provided text.
President Trump himself claimed that Putin agreed to the possibility of US air support during multilateral talks. Whether these claims hold true remains to be seen as the talks are yet to take place.
As the world watches, the location and details of these proposed talks continue to be debated, with many hoping for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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