After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine found itself in possession of a substantial nuclear arsenal. However, the financial strains and geopolitical complexities prompted Ukraine to surrender its nuclear weapons. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 pledged security assurances to Ukraine, but these proved futile when Russia seized Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores the security vulnerabilities faced by Ukraine in the absence of nuclear deterrence.