The Lawfare Podcast Escalation, Episode Two: No Guarantees
May 27, 2025
The podcast dives into the high-stakes diplomatic drama surrounding Ukraine's nuclear disarmament. It explores the legacy of the Budapest Memorandum and the nuanced perceptions of security guarantees from the U.S. and Western nations. The discussions highlight the tensions of Ukraine’s independence amid Russian threats and the difficult negotiations it faced for protection. Additionally, it addresses the historical corruption issues during Leonid Kuchma's presidency and how they continue to affect Ukraine's geopolitical standing.
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Marichka's White House Protest
- Ukrainian activist Marichka leads protests at the White House demanding more support to "let Ukraine strike back."
- The protests show Ukrainians rallying with Americans for more aid amid Russia's invasion.
Ukraine’s Nuclear Inheritance Trouble
- Ukraine inherits a vast nuclear arsenal from the USSR but cannot control or launch the weapons alone.
- This creates a precarious security and diplomatic dilemma for Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.
Word Choice Undermines Budapest Memo
- The Budapest Memorandum's language used "assurances" in English but was translated as "guarantees" in Russian and Ukrainian.
- This linguistic discrepancy caused fundamental misunderstandings on security commitments.