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Third, the English version mentions “security assurances,” while Ukrainian and Russian texts provide for “security guarantees.” This different wording is often explained by the fact that in Ukrainian and Russian, the words “assurances” and “guarantees” are allegedly considered to be synonyms. However, there are much better, more accurate substitutes for “assurances” in Ukrainian and Russian, namely “запевнення” and “заверения.” The parties likely put different terms in different languages to create ambiguity. In retrospect, the Ukrainian Parliament probably would not have agreed to the term “assurances,” because “guarantees” represent something definitely more substantial. As a matter of international law, both terms can potentially signify political and legal obligations with varying degrees of obligations up to military support

Fourth, the Budapest Memorandum’s Ukrainian version provides that it “enters into force upon signature.” The International Court of Justice found this specific wording to be an “indicator” of a legally binding memorandum without the need for ratification. However, English and Russian versions provide an iterated softer language that the memorandum “will become applicable upon signature,” which contributes to its ambiguity.