Ukraine's nuclear weapons belonged to Russia - Grenell

“Let's be clear about the Budapest Memorandum. The nuclear weapons belonged to Russia and were its remnants. Ukraine returned the nuclear weapons to Russia. It was not Ukrainian. This is an inconvenient fact,” he wrote.

Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine (1998-2000,) and nuclear weapons expert Steven Pifer responded by saying that Grenell was categorically wrong.

“I helped negotiate the Budapest Memorandum agreement. Grenell is categorically wrong. The nuclear warheads in Ukraine were former Soviet warheads, not Russian warheads. The warheads in storage were the sole responsibility of Ukraine. Intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers were liquidated in Ukraine, except for a small number sent to Russia for debt relief,” he wrote.

He added that Ukraine decided to send nuclear warheads to Russia for elimination largely because Moscow had pledged to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and not to use force against Ukraine.

“Study history fully,” he advised Grenell.

Photo: Slovoidilo.