After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine gained possession of a substantial nuclear arsenal. However, owing to economic constraints and geopolitical concerns, Ukraine made the decision to disarm itself of these nuclear weapons. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 offered security assurances to Ukraine, but these proved to be insufficient when Russia took control of Crimea and backed separatist movements within Ukraine. The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine underscores the precarious nature of Ukrainian security in the absence of nuclear deterrence.