After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Ukraine found itself in possession of a considerable nuclear arsenal. However, financial constraints and geopolitical concerns prompted Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 assured security guarantees to Ukraine, but these promises faltered when Russia took over Crimea and backed separatist movements in Ukraine. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores Ukraine’s security challenges in the absence of nuclear deterrence.