The truth is in the eye of the beholder: a reminder of the Budapest memorandum invariably triggers a new round of "nuclear blackmail" from the Kremlin

Any public statement, or even a simple mention that Russia violated the guarantees of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, given by it in the framework of the Budapest Memorandum, causes real hysteria in Moscow.

Official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova

This time, loud threats and hysterical exclamations from the Kremlin released the absolutely fair words of the ex-head of the Polish Foreign Ministry and Member of the European Parliament, Radoslaw Sikorski, who reasonably suggested that it would be right if the West gave Ukraine nuclear warheads, in exchange for the Ukrainian nuclear warheads transferred to Russia under the Budapest Memorandum nuclear arsenal. Indeed, why, in a situation when one of the guarantors of Ukrainian security, to whom Ukraine gave its nuclear weapons, launched a war against it, it is impossible to ensure Ukrainian sovereignty and independence, restore, at least partially, Ukrainian nuclear potential?

The obvious and absolutely logical judgment of Sikorsky was not listened to in the Kremlin. On the contrary, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, subject to sanctions, Maria Zakharova, pounced on the Polish deputy, as if he stepped on her corn.

In her Telegram channel, Zakharova said that with similar actions, Polish politicians, who are allegedly controlled by the United States, "manifest extremist ideology, spread hatred and inflame conflicts." "Now they also threaten the planet with a violation of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. But the most important thing is that they are putting the Polish people under attack, who are being drawn into the nuclear border of the world," Zakharova said.

Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma "elected" in the falsified elections, had time to speak in a similar spirit, who accused Radoslav Sikorsky of trying to provoke a nuclear conflict in the center of Europe. As they say, the truth stings, so you can be sure that this is far from the last emotional reaction of Russian officials and propagandists to the fair words of the MEP. Now it should be expected that the Kremlin's "nuclear blackmail" will continue with redoubled force.

The Kremlin is well aware that, having violated the Budapest Memorandum, Moscow has opened a kind of "Pandora's box" that nullifies trust in states possessing nuclear weapons. After Russia's aggression against Ukraine, no country will ever again voluntarily give up its nuclear potential. What kind of violation of the "non-proliferation regime of nuclear weapons" can we talk about if Moscow itself grossly violated all the principles and norms of international law, as well as the obligations assumed by itself. It is the actions of Russia that have serious consequences for the entire international security system and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, not the statement of the Polish deputy!

In addition, I would like to note that Radoslav Sikorskyi's statement about the possible transfer of nuclear warheads to Ukraine completely destroys the Russian narrative that has been popular in recent days about Poland's alleged plans to annex part of the western Ukrainian regions. Indeed, how is it possible to simultaneously plan the alienation of part of its territory from Ukraine, while providing it with nuclear weapons? How does all this fit together in the heads of Russian figures? In their hysterical reaction to Sikorsky's words, Russian officials somehow forgot that just yesterday they were concerned about Ukrainian territorial integrity, which Poland is allegedly encroaching on. And when a Polish deputy proposed effective measures to strengthen Ukrainian sovereignty, Moscow prefers not to notice it.

As a result, it is possible to state that the Russian information strategy does not change. Any, even the most insignificant reason, phrases taken out of context, or simply fake information is used for "nuclear blackmail" of Europe, as well as for threats to Poland, as the closest Ukrainian partner and ally.

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Maria Zainetdinova, ISR Chronos