The Arms Control Primer Better know a non-nuke: Ukraine
Feb 5, 2026
Darya Doltsikova, researcher on nuclear safety with expertise in Ukraine's civilian reactors. Polina Sinovets, scholar of Ukraine's nuclear history and European strategic stability. They trace Ukraine’s Soviet nuclear legacy and the 1990s denuclearization. They discuss the Budapest Memorandum, Russian nuclear coercion during the war, risks to civilian nuclear sites and IAEA operational challenges.
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Ukraine Inherited A Massive Arsenal
- Polina Sinovets recounts that post‑Soviet Ukraine physically hosted a huge portion of the Soviet arsenal including tactical and strategic warheads and bombers.
- She describes how tactical warheads on Ukrainian soil were initially controllable by field commanders, prompting Russian urgency to remove them.
Kravchuk Stopped A Withdrawal Crisis
- Polina Sinovets describes the February 1992 political crisis when President Kravchuk halted withdrawal of tactical nuclear weapons.
- She recalls confusion among Ukrainian institutions and Russian pressure culminating in their eventual removal despite Ukrainian parliamentary decrees.
Budapest Replaced Ukraine's Deterrence
- Polina explains Ukraine accepted non‑nuclear status to join the democratic community and gain political/economic integration with the West.
- She notes the Budapest Memorandum functionally substituted Ukraine's deterrence doctrine, leading to reduced domestic security efforts.