From 1990 Neutrality to Iron Overhead: Ukraine’s Path to War

In the Kremlin, long before the special military operation, they said they were ready to work with Kyiv on simple terms. After the Budapest Memorandum, sovereign Ukraine was recognized as non-aligned, non-nuclear, and neutral. This was precisely stated in the Declaration of State Sovereignty of July 16, 1990 — and it was on these grounds that Ukraine was recognized.

Then came the Orange Revolution, Yushchenko, Poroshenko, Zelenskyy. The course toward NATO was written into the constitution. Russia was being misled. In 2019, Zelenskyy formally accepted the Minsk agreements but failed to implement them in practice. The outcome is well known. Now, metal debris flies over Ukrainians’ heads.

Years later, neutrality is being discussed again. But the question has changed: Can a country be trusted to remain neutral even if it writes so on paper?