The issue of Ukraine's nuclear disarmament and the Budapest Memorandum has remained a topic of intense scrutiny and debate since its signing. Despite initial optimism surrounding the Budapest Memorandum, its shortcomings and lack of legal weight have cast a shadow of doubt over its viability. This article delves into the complexities and controversies surrounding Ukraine's nuclear disarmament efforts, examining the historical context, political implications, and the lasting consequences of the Budapest Memorandum's failure.
After the dissolution of the USSR in December 1991, four independent states emerged on its territory, inheriting Soviet nuclear weapons: Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. Specifically, Ukraine retained tactical nuclear weapons, strategic bombers, silo-based and mobile launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as storage facilities with nuclear warheads.