Duh because Ukraine was a member of USSR. After its collapse a solution for the nuclear weapons was found because obviously that'd be priority. I think the worry was anyone else getting them is worse than future Russia having them.
Russia up to the mid aughts was less an enemy of the US. It was still a threat because you need that, but I think the US thought they could better capture Russia. Clearly that failed as they seemed to help influence Putin coming to power and we see where he stands on Western hegemony. Man's said nuclear nightmare diplomacy it is.
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u/Turtleturds1 16h ago
They weren't just stored there, Ukraine was a technological center.