The 10 largest providers of military aid – DW – 20-04-2024

More than two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian forces are under attack by Russian infantry, artillery and air power, especially on the eastern and southern fronts.

Ukraine cannot survive without military help from other countries and has repeatedly called on its allies to provide more ammunition and air defense systems, most recently last week.

Which countries support Ukraine the most?

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IFW) inventories and quantifies humanitarian, financial and military assistance, including weapons, ammunition and equipment promised and allocated to Ukraine, and issues regular reports. Do.

USA

The United States has promised and provided Ukraine with the greatest military assistance in the fight against Russia. According to the IFW, the administration of US President Joe Biden has pledged more than 42 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine through February 2022.

But now the funds approved by the US Congress have run out and Republicans have been blocking a new 55 billion euro aid package for Ukraine for months. A new vote was expected to have finally passed the remaining hurdle in the House of Representatives.

Germany

Germany ranks second in military aid to Ukraine, with 17.7 billion euros so far. Last weekend, the German government promised to deliver a third Patriot missile system to strengthen the country’s air defenses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has criticized German delays in delivering aid in the past, apparently thanked Berlin.

United Kingdom

London recently announced €2.9 billion in additional military aid, bringing its total military commitments to €9.1 billion. According to the IFW, it has already contributed the equivalent of €4.8 billion.

Denmark

Measured in relation to gross domestic product (GDP), Denmark is one of the largest donors of military aid. The small country has increased its commitments by 3.5 billion euros until November 2023. Of the 8.4 billion euros in military aid it has already pledged, at least 4.5 billion euros have been allocated.

European Union

In addition to individual bilateral support from member states, the European Union (EU) also has its own extra-budgetary financing instrument to provide military aid to Ukraine: the European Peace Fund (EFF).

5.6 billion euros worth of weapons, ammunition and equipment have been promised for some time now. In mid-March, after months of debate, EU member states agreed to provide at least an additional €5 billion.

The Netherlands

The amount of military aid that the Netherlands gives to Ukraine amounts to 4.44 billion euros. At the beginning of March, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Zelensky signed a security agreement, which also sets aside 2 billion euros in military aid until 2024.

Norway

Like Denmark, Norway has also pledged to provide Ukraine with significant support in relation to its GDP. The country is pursuing a multi-year strategy for Ukraine as part of the Nansen Aid Program, which includes humanitarian and military assistance. For the latter, Norway has pledged a total of EUR 3.8 billion, of which 1 billion has already been allocated.

Poland

Poland, which borders Russia and Ukraine, is a close ally of Kiev, to which it has pledged almost 3 billion euros in military aid. The country has also become an important logistics hub for the transfer of Western military aid to Ukraine.

Canada

Canada also has a security agreement with Ukraine and has committed to providing more than €2 billion in military aid by the end of this year. The two countries signed the agreement to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this year.

Sweden

Sweden has also pledged more than 2 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine. Although initially the aid mainly concerned protective equipment, the aid now also includes tanks and modern weapon systems.

(RR/LGC)

(Article updated with vote in the United States House of Representatives at 8:10 PM)