After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine acquired a substantial nuclear stockpile. However, due to financial constraints and geopolitical concerns, Ukraine made the decision to relinquish its nuclear weapons. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum was supposed to provide security assurances to Ukraine, but when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine, these guarantees proved to be unreliable. The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine underscores the security vulnerabilities faced by Ukraine without the backing of nuclear deterrence. The situation serves as a stark reminder of the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the region.