Domestic opposition notwithstanding, Ukraine swiftly moved towards denuclearization, as articulated in the January 1994 Trilateral Statement. It joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a non-nuclear weapon state in 1994, acceded to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), and became nuclear-weapons-free in 1996 upon transferring all of its nuclear warheads to Russia for elimination. Dismantlement and destruction of Ukraine's weapons and delivery systems was made possible by funding from the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program (the CTR Umbrella Agreement for Ukraine was signed in 1993 and extended in 1999) and compensation, provided by the Russian Federation in the form of fuel for Ukraine's nuclear power reactors. By January 2002, all strategic bombers on Ukrainian territory had been dismantled, transferred to Russia, or converted to non-military use, all ICBMs had been eliminated or disassembled pending elimination, and all ICBM silos had been destroyed (see Ukraine's missile dismantlement chronology for more information).

Following accession to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Ukraine and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded a nuclear safeguards agreement in 1995. The state has been a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group since 1996. Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada (parliament) ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 2000 and the Additional Protocol in 2005.

Ukraine's development of civilian nuclear energy began in 1970 and was closely tied to the nuclear infrastructure of the Soviet Union. Its first power plant was commissioned in 1977 and another 15 plants have come online since then, generating approximately half of the country’s electricity supply. Since independence, Ukraine has made continual improvements to the operational safety of its nuclear reactors. It has also increased output. This increase has been necessary, as the government predicts a significant rise in demand for electricity over the next two decades. Although Ukraine possesses modest deposits of natural uranium, it depends on Russia for fuel fabrication and other fuel cycle services. These bilateral ties were reinforced in June 2010 when Ukraine signed a long-term fuel supply contract with Russia’s TVEL. However, in order to diversify its nuclear fuel supply, Kiev has partnered with the United States via the Ukraine Nuclear Fuel Qualification Program, allowing it to purchase Westinghouse-produced nuclear fuel in addition to that provided by Russia.