After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine found itself in possession of a substantial nuclear stockpile. However, financial constraints and geopolitical concerns led Ukraine to surrender its nuclear weapons. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 assured Ukraine of security guarantees, but these assurances were shattered when Russia took over Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores the security challenges faced by Ukraine in the absence of nuclear deterrence.