In February 2024, Russia and Ukraine have been at war for nearly two years, and since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, there have been some calls within Ukraine for Zelensky to reconsider whether Ukraine should withdraw from the Budapest Memorandum on Security Guarantees and restore its status as a nuclear state.
Some believe that the reason why Ukraine has been reduced to the battlefield is mainly because of the abandonment of nuclear ** in the past, and now they believe that regaining nuclear ** can get Ukraine out of its current predicament. However, this view is not comprehensive, and it requires a comprehensive consideration of the historical background and the circumstances of the time.
First of all, Ukraine did acquire a considerable stock of nuclear ** after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but this does not mean that Ukraine has the ability to control and use these nuclear weapons independently**. In fact, the launch code of these nuclear ** is not in the hands of Ukraine, but is controlled by the Soviet Union. It is conservatively estimated that Ukraine had at least 3,000 nuclear weapons stocks at that time, so even if Ukraine retains these nuclear weapons, it will not be able to use them effectively.
Second, Ukraine faced many internal and external challenges in the early years of independence, including political, economic, and social issues. At the same time, possession of nuclear weapons also requires a lot of money and resources to maintain and manage, which is a huge burden for an emerging country. Therefore, Ukraine was faced with the dilemma of what to do with these nuclear weapons at that time.
In this context, both the United States and Russia have shown great interest, and they have offered a series of options to help Ukraine deal with the nuclear issue. The United States has provided economic assistance to assist Ukraine in destroying its nuclear weapons**, while Russia has expressed its willingness to purchase them. Under the influence of the two great powers, the United States and Russia, Ukraine finally chose to give up part of its nuclear power and ** others.
Therefore, Ukraine's renunciation of nuclear ** is not a unilateral decision, but was made under the influence of the international community and various internal and external factors. Ukraine did not voluntarily renounce nuclear weapons, but was forced to make this decision in the face of its inability to independently master and effectively use it, as well as in the face of other, more pressing internal problems. Imagine a newly independent country with more than 3,000 nuclear warheads, is such a situation acceptable under the international order of the time?
Therefore, it is inaccurate to think that the only reason why Ukraine has become a battlefield is to abandon nuclear **. Ukraine was facing many challenges and difficulties at that time, and the renunciation of nuclear ** was only one of them. If Ukraine had chosen to retain its nuclear power at that time, it might not have been able to change the current situation, but could have brought more problems and challenges to Ukraine. Therefore, Ukraine's abandonment of nuclear ** was not a wrong decision, but the best option in the circumstances of the time.
When reviewing the history of Ukraine's renunciation of nuclear power, we must fully understand the situation and various factors at that time. Abandoning nuclear ** is not an active choice of Ukraine, but a decision that was forced to be made under the pressure of the international community and internal and external challenges. Even if Ukraine retains its nuclear **, it will be difficult to change the current situation, and on the contrary, it may bring more problems and risks to Ukraine.
Therefore, recognizing the historical context and decision-making process at that time is essential to understanding the current situation in Ukraine. In the future, Ukraine needs to continue to work to resolve internal problems, and at the same time, cooperate with the international community to seek a peaceful solution to the current contradictions between Russia and Ukraine and achieve stability and development of the country.