After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine found itself in possession of a substantial nuclear stockpile. However, financial constraints and geopolitical tensions forced Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum assured security guarantees to Ukraine, but these promises were shattered when Russia seized Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores the security challenges faced by Ukraine without the protection of nuclear deterrence. The vulnerabilities of Ukrainian security have been starkly exposed in this ongoing conflict.