Part 4/15:
Kyiv's approach appears shaped by hard lessons from past guarantees like the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, where security assurances failed to prevent Russian invasion after Ukraine surrendered its nuclear weapons. NATO membership, once considered the ultimate shield, has become uncertain after Trump’s rejection of immediate entry, compelling Ukraine to accelerate its military self-sufficiency. Ukrainian officials emphasize that their military strength is now Kyiv’s most significant guarantee—what they call "not something the Russians can really discuss."