Belovezh accords

In 1991 the USSR ceased to exist. Shortly after the event, on December 8, 1991, at Minsk, an agreement of mutual recognition as free and independent states as well as recognition of state borders, was signed. As always, I am linking to the full version of the document’s text, as registered by the European Commission.

In particular, in scope of Article 5 the agreement establishes acknowledgement and respect to each other’s territorial integrity and inviolability of existing borders of the republics, as defined by the time of signature.

The signatories of the agreement were back-then presidents of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. As legitimately elected leaders of their respective countries, the signatures were made in the name of the people of the three countries.