After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a significant nuclear stockpile. Despite possessing these nuclear weapons, Ukraine decided to give them up due to financial constraints and geopolitical considerations. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum offered security assurances to Ukraine, but these guarantees were called into question when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine. The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine underscores the security challenges faced by Ukraine in the absence of nuclear deterrence. The vulnerability of Ukrainian security without nuclear weapons has become a pressing issue in the region.