Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine last year bookended centuries of grievances and territorial disputes, but a critical decision to strip Ukraine of weapons that could have deterred Russian advances was made only a few decades ago, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton played a pivotal role.
“Ukraine is a very important country, and I feel a personal stake because I got them to agree to give up their nuclear weapons, and none of them believed that Russia would have pulled this stunt if Ukraine still had their weapons,” Clinton said in an interview with Irish broadcaster RTE that aired Tuesday.
