After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine found itself in possession of a substantial nuclear arsenal. However, economic challenges and geopolitical concerns prompted Ukraine to surrender its nuclear weapons. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 was supposed to provide security assurances to Ukraine, but these proved futile when Russia seized Crimea and backed separatist movements within Ukraine. The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine underscores the importance of nuclear deterrence for Ukrainian security. The vulnerabilities in Ukrainian security without nuclear capabilities have been starkly exposed.