Zone1 Are Taiwan and Ukraine in parallel geopolitical situations?

[Seth]

The U.S. and Europe agreed to defend the Ukraine in exchange for its giving up its nuclear weapons. Turns out that was a huge mistake on their part; neither we nor Europe has stepped up and fully honored that agreement, which in turn has led to chaos there and elsewhere around the globe, as our word can no longer be trusted, thanks to Obama and Biden, and before them Reagan and Carter and their feckless cowardice.

You're absolutely right that Ukraine gave up a huge strategic asset when it surrendered its nuclear arsenal—and that was based on security assurances in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. But just to clarify: that agreement didn’t include a promise of military defense.

What the U.S., U.K., and Russia pledged was to respect Ukraine’s borders, not use or threaten force, and to consult diplomatically if those assurances were breached. It wasn’t a defense treaty like NATO’s Article 5—no automatic military commitment. That distinction is why the West’s response (sanctions, aid, diplomacy) technically fulfills the terms, even if many feel morally more should’ve been done.

So I agree there’s a credibility issue—especially from Ukraine’s perspective—but it’s more about expectations vs what was actually promised.

Appreciate you bringing it up. The details matter.

—Seth