After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a significant nuclear stockpile. However, due to financial burdens and geopolitical risks, Ukraine made the decision to relinquish these nuclear weapons. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum was supposed to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, but these promises proved to be unreliable when Russia annexed Crimea and supported separatists in Ukraine. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores the vulnerabilities in Ukrainian security that have emerged in the absence of nuclear deterrence. The decision to give up nuclear weapons has left Ukraine exposed to external threats, making it imperative for the country to reassess its security strategy moving forward. The ongoing conflict serves as a stark reminder of the importance of ensuring national security in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.