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Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, donor countries have provided Ukraine with continuous support of over 80 billion euros per year. The main source of assistance has been European partners, especially in the provision of financial and humanitarian assistance.
The Kiel Institute of World Economy found out how much it costs Ukraine's allies to support our country in its fight against Russian aggression.
It is noted that over the past year there has been a shift towards arms purchases. At first, military aid to Ukraine was provided from the existing arsenals of donor countries, but over time they were emptied. Therefore, our country began to receive new weapons produced by the Western defense industry.
Experts learned that by December 2024, a total of about 267 billion euros in aid had been provided to our country. Of the total, about 130 billion euros were allocated for military aid, 118 billion euros for financial support, and 19 billion euros for humanitarian aid.
Experts noted that the amount of aid was relatively small when measured as a share of the donor country's GDP. For example, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States allocated less than 0,2% of their GDP per year to support Ukraine. At the same time, France, Italy, and Spain allocated only about 0,1% of their annual GDP.
It also found that even small domestic policy priorities cost some countries much more than aid to Ukraine. In particular, Germany's diesel fuel tax subsidies cost taxpayers three times more per year than military aid.
“If you look at the state budgets of most European donor countries, aid to Ukraine over the past 3 years looks more like a small political “pet project” than a major fiscal effort,” said Christoph Trebesch, head of the Ukraine Support Tracker at the Kiel Institute.
In addition, Europe has overtaken the United States in terms of the amount of aid provided to Ukraine. According to experts, Europe has allocated 70 billion euros in financial and humanitarian assistance, as well as 62 billion euros in military aid, while the United States has allocated 64 billion and 50 billion euros, respectively.
Experts shared that the role of aid from Washington began to decline in mid-2023 due to the US Congress blocking any new aid bills. However, in recent months, American support has increased again.
Trebes predicts that with the arrival of new US President Donald Trump in power, US military aid will again stagnate. He believes that European governments will be forced to step up their efforts and fill the large gap left by Washington.
Experts also stated that in the first months of a full-scale war, more than 90% of military aid was mobilized from the national arsenals of the countries. Already in 2023 and 2024, 60% of military aid was ordered from weapons manufacturers. This shift is especially noticeable in Germany, where almost three-quarters of military equipment for Ukraine is ordered directly from manufacturers.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine has turned into a war of arms procurement and production. Therefore, it is extremely important to increase industrial capacity for the production of defense products, especially in Europe,” Trebesh added.
Support for Ukraine – important news
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that support for Ukraine from the United States and European countries should be equal. In his opinion, this sends a clear signal of the Alliance's unwavering commitment to Ukraine.
In addition, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Europe to strengthen its defense and support for Ukraine. He said that it is also necessary to increase pressure on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
