Ukraine's path to independence was formalized on August 24, 1991, when its Supreme Soviet declared the country would no longer adhere to USSR laws, effectively asserting its separation from the Soviet Union. This declaration was overwhelmingly supported by a referendum on December 1, 1991, where over 90% of Ukrainian citizens voted for independence, showing majorities in every region, including a significant vote from Crimea, despite its predominantly ethnic Russian population. The dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991, following an agreement by the leaders of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, officially marked Ukraine's independence on the international stage.

Poland and Canada were the first countries to recognize Ukraine's independence on December 2, 1991. The early years of Ukraine's independence, under Presidents Leonid Kravchuk and Leonid Kuchma, were characterized by a transitional phase where, despite nominal independence, Ukraine maintained close relations with Russia.

On the disarmament front, Ukraine became a non-nuclear state on June 1, 1996, relinquishing the last of its 1,900 strategic nuclear warheads inherited from the Soviet Union to Russia, following its commitment to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances in January 1994.

The adoption of its constitution on June 28, 1996, marked a significant step in Ukraine's development as an independent nation, laying the foundational legal framework for the country.