After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a significant nuclear stockpile. Despite possessing nuclear weapons, Ukraine decided to give them up due to financial constraints and geopolitical risks. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum provided security assurances, but these were called into question when Russia took over Crimea and backed separatists in Ukraine. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict underscores the security challenges faced by Ukraine without nuclear deterrence. The vulnerability of Ukrainian security has come to the forefront in recent years.