After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine found itself in possession of a substantial nuclear arsenal. However, due to financial constraints and geopolitical concerns, Ukraine made the decision to give up its nuclear weapons. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 provided Ukraine with security assurances, but these were called into question when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine. The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine underscores the security challenges that Ukraine faces without the protection of nuclear weapons. The vulnerability of Ukrainian security in the absence of nuclear deterrence is a pressing issue.