On June 3, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and opened with a catalog of achievements: 15 foreign policy wins, 15 moments of U.S. strength, 15 reasons to feel good about the direction of American leadership in the world.
Ukraine was not on the list. Not once.
Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts noticed.
The Deal Ukraine Kept
In 1994, Ukraine held the third-largest nuclear arsenal on earth: roughly 1,900 strategic warheads, 176 intercontinental ballistic missiles, and 44 strategic bombers. Ukraine had inherited all of it from the collapsed Soviet Union and had every incentive to keep it.
Ukraine did not keep it.
Under the Budapest Memorandum, signed December 5, 1994, Ukraine surrendered every warhead and transferred them to Russia for dismantlement. In exchange, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia pledged security assurances: they would respect Ukraine's territorial integrity, refrain from military threats, and come to Ukraine's defense if it came under attack.
Ukraine held up its end. By 1996 the arsenal was gone. Ukraine became a non-nuclear state party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The deal was done.
What Rubio Said at the Hearing
Keating put the question directly to Rubio during the June 3 hearing, which covered the State Department's fiscal year 2027 budget request. He reminded the secretary that Ukraine "at the time had third-largest nuclear arsenal, peacefully turned over their nuclear weapons in conjunction with Budapest Memorandum."
"And in exchange for U.S. commitment to defend Ukraine if it ever came under attack," Keating continued, "the U.S. gave its word to Ukraine that it would defend them."
Keating pointed out the gap: in Rubio's opening remarks, the secretary had cited 15 different incidents where the administration had interceded. Ukraine appeared in none of them. "Not once did you mention Ukraine when you were prioritizing achievements," Keating said.
Rubio told Keating to stay under five minutes. "Oh yeah, it's not funny, secretary," Keating snapped back.
The Logic of the Memorandum
The Budapest Memorandum was not charity. It was a nonproliferation transaction. The United States needed Ukraine to give up those weapons. A newly independent state sitting on the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world was a proliferation nightmare. So the U.S. made a promise: give up the weapons, and we will be there if Russia comes for you.
Russia came for Ukraine. In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea. In 2022, it launched a full-scale invasion. The memorandum signatories had pledged to refrain from military force against Ukraine. Russia used military force. The pledge was broken.
The question Keating was really asking Rubio is the one every arms control expert has been asking since February 2022: what does it mean for future nonproliferation efforts if the United States lets the Budapest Memorandum die without consequence? Countries watching from Pyongyang, Tehran, and Riyadh are drawing conclusions.
Four Hours, 15 Achievements, Zero Mentions
Rubio's June 3 appearance was the third stop in a multi-day congressional testimony marathon. He fielded questions on Iran, on Trump's relationship with NATO, on foreign aid cuts to Africa, on the appointment of Bill Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence. He was praised by Republicans and sparred with Democrats for the better part of four hours.
In all of that, he found room to enumerate 15 moments of U.S. foreign policy success. The country that gave up nuclear weapons on America's word did not make the cut.
Keating's point was not procedural. Countries do not hand over nuclear arsenals to be forgotten in a list of footnotes. They do it because they believe the promise means something. The current administration's posture toward Ukraine answers that belief with a shrug.
What Comes Next
Rubio has said U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine can only come after the war ends, framing the commitment as a post-conflict reward rather than a pre-existing obligation. That framing is convenient for an administration that has spent 2025 and 2026 pressuring Ukraine to accept a settlement on terms favorable to Russia.
Ukraine gave up the weapons in 1994. The war started in 2022. The guarantee was supposed to prevent the war, not be withheld until after it ends.
Rep. Keating's exchange with Rubio lasted under five minutes. The Budapest Memorandum commitment was supposed to last indefinitely.
Sources
- Colorado Politics: Rubio Grilled Over Trump's National Security Picks and Foreign Policy Priorities (June 3, 2026)
- Washington Examiner: Rubio Grilled Over Trump's National Security Pick and Foreign Policy Priorities (June 3, 2026)
- Raw Story: Congressman Shouts Down Rubio Over Trump's New Spy Chief Pick (June 3, 2026)
- C-SPAN: Secretary of State Rubio Testifies on Trump's Foreign Policy (June 3, 2026)
- Arms Control Association: Ukraine, Nuclear Weapons, and Security Assurances at a Glance
- NPR: Why Ukraine Gave Up Its Nuclear Weapons and What That Means in a Russian Invasion (February 2022)
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