After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a significant nuclear stockpile. Despite possessing these nuclear weapons, Ukraine chose to give them up due to financial constraints and geopolitical considerations. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum provided security assurances to Ukraine, which were called into question when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores the security challenges faced by Ukraine without the protection of nuclear deterrence.