Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine made the decision to give up its extensive nuclear arsenal due to financial and geopolitical considerations. This move was supported by the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, which offered security assurances from the UK, Russia, and the US. However, the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 brought into question the effectiveness of these guarantees, leaving Ukraine exposed to continued Russian aggression. The country’s vulnerability in the face of ongoing geopolitical challenges has raised concerns about its security and sovereignty.