Draft Joint US-Russia Statement Regarding Security Guarantees/Assurances for Ukraine

Draft

Joint Statement

The United States of America and the Russian Federation,

Acknowledging that the continuation of the process of nuclear disarmament and liquidation of the nuclear weapons remains one of the main needs and requirements of our time;

welcoming the substantial changes in the field of strengthening international security, which create favorable conditions for accomplishing significant reductions of nuclear weapons;

considering that the activities in the filed of disarmament should be implemented on a such fair and balanced basis that would ensure the legal right of every state to guarantee its national security, and also an acceptable balance of mutual responsibility and commitments of nuclear and non-nuclear states;

noting with pleasure the principally new character of relations between the USA and the states of the former USSR, which helps to join efforts for the purpose of reducing nuclear weapons;

regarding highly the aspirations and practical measures of a number of countries of the former USSR, including Ukraine, for the purpose of ensuring complete absence of nuclear weapons on their territory by way of its further destruction;

welcoming the intention of Ukraine, which was first among the above-mentioned states to express it, to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and become free from such weapons;

recognizing the right of states, which have elected an unprecedented way in world history to voluntarily reject nuclear weapons, to reliable guarantees of their security from the side of all nuclear states, including commitments not to use force or threat of force;

declare:

1. The United States of American and Russian Federation will protect the independence, sovereignty and also territorial integrity and inviolability of borders of Ukraine in accordance with the principles of the Final Act of the Council for Security and Cooperation in Europe. They will refrain from using force or threat of force against the territorial integrity and political independence of Ukraine, and also from using economic pressure or threat thereof against it as a means of achieving economic or political goals.

2. The United States of American and Russian Federation do not have aggressive intentions toward Ukraine and will never use armed force against it, except for the circumstances connected with exercising the inalienable right for individual and collective defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Statute. In case if Ukraine become an object of aggression or threat of aggression, they will immediately raise the issue at the UN Security Council to provide it with effective support.

3. The United States of American and Russian Federation will uphold their previously made commitments regarding Ukraine not to use nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear member-state of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, except for the cases of attack upon them, their territory, armed forces from the side of such state, when it is connected by an agreement with a state, which possesses nuclear weapons or acts jointly with it in executing such attach or support thereof.

5. The United States of American and Russian Federation express hopes that other nuclear states will also join this statement.