July 16, 1990- Ukraine issued a proclamation of sovereignty.

On December 1, 1991 in an all-Ukrainian referendum the proclamation was confirmed and Leonid Kravchuk was re-elected as president.

In July 1994 among economic turmoil, Kravchuk lost his presidency to his former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma.

Ukraine inherited nuclear weapons on its territory.

By May 1992, all tactical nuclear weapons were shipped out of Ukraine to Russia for dismantlement.

In November 1994, supported by Kuchma's leadership, the Ukrainian Parliament approved adherence to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The next December, Kuchma officially signed documents pledging Ukraine's NPT status at the OSCE Conference in Budapest, Hungary.