Ukraine was once the world’s 3rd largest nuclear power on Earth—here’s why it gave them up

After inheriting a vast nuclear arsenal post-Soviet Union collapse, Ukraine chose to relinquish it, motivated by financial and geopolitical factors. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994 promised protection from the UK, Russia, and the US. However, Russia’s 2014 Crimea annexation undermined these security guarantees, highlighting Ukraine’s vulnerability amidst ongoing Russian aggression.