Serghei Lavrov states that Russia has not violated the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, when the Russians committed not to attack Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, stated that Moscow does not consider its aggression against Ukraine as a violation of the Budapest Memorandum, which guarantees Ukraine's security in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons. Lavrov explained that, although the Memorandum provides for the protection of Ukraine, the same document includes the signatories' commitments to respect the rights of minorities and democracy, which they consider to be violated by the authorities in Kiev.

The Memorandum, signed in 1994 by Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, stipulates that these states must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, refraining from the use of force. However, Russia has launched aggression against Ukraine starting in 2014, culminating in the invasion of 2022, which contradicts the commitments made under this agreement.