After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine found itself in possession of a substantial nuclear arsenal. However, the financial constraints and geopolitical uncertainties prompted Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 assured security assurances to Ukraine, but these proved futile when Russia seized Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores Ukraine’s security vulnerabilities in the absence of nuclear deterrence.