Kyiv continues to consider the Budapest Memorandum as a political and legal base for ensuring Ukraine's security by the United States, Great Britain, as well as France and China, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said in the document that on December 5, 2020 Ukraine marks the 26th anniversary of signing of the Memorandum on Providing Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the Budapest Memorandum.

"Ukraine calls on the international community to increase its pressure on Russia to ensure it returns to the implementation of the Budapest Memorandum's provisions. Russia must fully comply with its obligations under this document," the foreign ministry said.

In addition, it is noted that Kyiv highly appreciates actions of the United States, Great Britain and France, which remain resolute in their support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and reinforce their support through practical assistance towards enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities and implementation of sanctions against the aggressor state.

The Foreign Ministry said that by concluding the Budapest Memorandum, Great Britain, the United States and Russia reaffirmed their obligations to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. France and China have provided similar assurances in the separate letters.

"However, the relevant obligations towards Ukraine have not been fulfilled. The Russian Federation as one of the states-guarantor has defiantly violated its obligations under the Memorandum and basic principles of international law, by occupying part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine and starting an armed conflict in Donbas," the ministry said in the statement.

The Foreign Ministry said that nowadays, Russia progressively militarizes the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea, having transformed it into a powerful military base.

"Given the strategic location of Crimea, the potential deployment of nuclear weapons by Russia on its territory seriously compromises the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons regime, undermines the global security system in general and, accordingly, requires proper react from the international community," the foreign ministry said.