这才是事实。
Ukraine surrendered its nuclear weapons due to several interconnected factors, including a dire economic crisis requiring Western aid, the technical challenges of maintaining and controlling the inherited arsenal, the desire for international legitimacy and recognition as an independent state, and the need for security assurances from nuclear powers. In exchange for nuclear disarmament, Ukraine received security guarantees through the Budapest Memorandum, compensation for the nuclear material, and assistance in dismantling the weapons and infrastructure, though these assurances ultimately failed to deter Russian aggression.
Key Reasons for Disarmament
Economic Crisis and Western Aid:
Ukraine's economy was in crisis after the Soviet collapse, with severe inflation and declining production. Giving up the nuclear weapons was a condition for obtaining crucial financial assistance from the West, including support for dismantling the arsenal.
International Legitimacy:
Ukraine's leaders sought international recognition and legitimacy for their new state. Becoming a non-nuclear state and adhering to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was a significant step towards achieving this goal and avoiding international isolation.
Technical Challenges and Safety Concerns:
Ukraine inherited the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal but lacked the technical expertise, infrastructure, and budget to safely maintain and control it. There were fears of a Chernobyl-like disaster or theft of nuclear material by rogue actors.
Security Assurances:
The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances provided security guarantees from Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom in exchange for Ukraine's nuclear disarmament. Ukraine also received compensation for the highly enriched uranium, which could be converted into nuclear fuel for its own reacto