Zaluzhnyi Calls Budapest Memorandum Ukraine's Major Foreign Policy Mistake Amid Russia's Influence Campaign

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is viewed as the outcome of missteps in foreign policy, including an overreliance on security guarantees like the Budapest Memorandum, which failed to prevent Russian aggression. Ukrainian leaders, including President Zelenskyy and former commander Zaluzhnyi, emphasize the need to build a new security architecture with Western allies to ensure reliable protection against further Russian incursions. Amid these tensions, Russia and the United States are preparing for a summit in Budapest, with both sides engaging in discussions aimed at a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has consistently advocated for a political settlement due to the direct security risks posed by the war to its territory and sees the upcoming US-Russia summit as a critical opportunity for diplomacy. US President Donald Trump, now in office, has expressed readiness to negotiate peace, outlining that Russia must halt its advance and agree to talks, with Ukrainian and American officials discussing potential peace frameworks and post-war reconstruction. Experts suggest that if the Budapest summit leads Putin to acknowledge the realities on the ground, it could mark the beginning of the end of both the war and Russia's imperial ambitions.