[mac_truck]

where Russia, America, and the U.K. pledged not to use military force against Ukraine in exchange for it renouncing the nuclear weapons it had obtained from the collapsing Soviet Union.

Ukraine never "obtained" any nuclear weapons, nor did it ever control any. All Soviet nuclear weapon systems were legally transferred to Russia, the internationally recognized owner of the Soviet legacy, as part of the formal dissolution of the USSR.

[Kevmo]

Ukraine never “obtained” any nuclear weapons, nor did it ever control any. All Soviet nuclear weapon systems were legally transferred to Russia, the internationally recognized owner of the Soviet legacy, as part of the formal dissolution of the USSR.
***That’s obvious horse shiite. If it were true there never would even have been a need for the Budapest Agreement.

[Paul R.]

Ukraine never "obtained" any nuclear weapons, nor did it ever control any.

Correct on "obtained", it was more like "fell into possession of". However, "controlled" is an arcane legal argument, here. Ukraine had the nukes physically in hand, in quantity such that nobody could have forced them to relinquish them. Possession is 9 points of the "law".

Point is made that the Ukes did not have the codes. Rather easily overcome, actually, if you have the goodies in hand, and a wee bit of time.