After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Ukraine found itself in possession of a substantial nuclear arsenal. However, the financial burden and geopolitical risks associated with maintaining these weapons led Ukraine to voluntarily give them up. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum was supposed to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, but these promises were shattered when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatist movements in Ukraine. The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine underscores the inherent vulnerabilities in the Ukrainian security landscape without the backing of a nuclear deterrent. The strategic implications of Ukraine’s denuclearization are being keenly felt in the ongoing tensions between the two nations.