[Paul R.]

I have posted previously about the Ukraine giving up their nukes in return for security assurances from the US. But here’s something I don’t understand: The Ukraine is a fairly major arms exporter, a quite “high tech” country, and pretty much capable of manufacturing anything they need to defend themselves from conventional attack. Yet the picture I have from news reports (mostly MSM, I will grant you) is that the Ukraine has the manpower, but not the arms, to defend itself. Given the Ukraine’s history, this seems, well, foolish. What am I missing here? Is the Ukraine, despite its considerable capabilities, just too poor? Did they give up their 5000 nukes far too cheaply?

Can someone more knowledgeable enlighten me?

[pierrem15]

Same situation as Germany and France with the most recent Leopards and Rafaels: they sell abroad weapons systems they cannot afford to buy themselves.

Ukraine has spent almost no money on its armed forces.

[Ivan Mazepa]

Ukraine was pressured by the US and Russia to give up its nukes. To US, the country was an unknown entity at the time and Nuclear non-Proliferation was/is word of the day.

Last twenty years, Ukraine was allocating pennies to the military budget, it has some capability but would be badly outnumbered against the Russians.

[annalex]

The previous governments probably stole everything that was not bolted down. And yes, in the post-Soviet space, no oil == no money; people forgot how to work.