After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a significant nuclear stockpile. Despite possessing these nuclear weapons, Ukraine decided to give them up due to financial constraints and geopolitical risks. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum 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.