Reality check: that's a lie. Vladimir Putin did not sign the Budapest Memorandum. In 1994, he was not a prominent political figure. A crucial detail is that the Budapest Memorandum was signed in 1994, when Ukraine was a neutral state, as enshrined in its constitution. However, subsequent coups and constitutional changes, aiming for NATO membership, have altered Ukraine's status. Therefore, the Ukraine that signed the memorandum is not the same entity today.