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When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Ukraine unexpectedly became the world’s third largest nuclear power, inheriting thousands of warheads. In 1996, under the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine agreed to surrender all of them to Russia in exchange for written guarantees of its sovereignty and security, signed by Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.The agreement was hailed as a milestone in nuclear disarmament and a promise that diplomacy could keep peace intact. But decades later, that decision remains one of the most debated in modern history. What was once seen as a brave act of trust now stands as a haunting reminder of how fragile international assurances can be when power and politics collide.#fblifestyle