"Ukraine Abandons Nuclear Weapons"

Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in the 1990s in exchange for financial assistance, legitimacy as a new state, fear of retaliation from Russia, technical problems with managing and controlling the nuclear weapons on its territory, and security assurances. The Budapest Memorandum committed the U.S., U.K., and Russia to “refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.” However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014 has led some to question the value of the memorandum and whether Ukraine made a mistake in giving up its nuclear weapons.