28 Years Without Nuclear Status: Ukraine's Historic Decision and Its Consequences
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28 years ago, Ukraine made the fateful decision to abandon its nuclear arsenal, at the time the third largest in the world.
In December 1994, the Budapest Memorandum was signed, under which Ukraine transferred its nuclear weapons to Russia in exchange for security guarantees from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation itself.
By the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine had about 5,000 nuclear warheads on its territory. This amounted to more than a third of the entire Soviet nuclear potential, automatically making Ukraine one of the world's largest nuclear powers. However, economic difficulties, political instability, and international pressure forced the Ukrainian government to consider abandoning its nuclear arsenal.
The events of 2014 and the subsequent full-scale invasion in 2022 showed that the promises made to Ukraine remained unfulfilled. The guarantors of the memorandum pledged to refrain from using force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. They also promised not to use their armed forces against the country.
A full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has brought to life the security issues and promises made to Ukraine under the Budapest Memorandum. The conflict was the largest in Europe since World War II and demonstrated that guarantees on paper do not always match the reality of international relations. The occupation of Crimea and the subsequent invasion exposed the weaknesses of the international security system and became a challenge for the entire world community.
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