WASHINGTON: Over 100 Billion Dollars in aid has been given to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
The US alone has given over 61 Billion Dollars in aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion and the pledge to reinforce its defences has strengthened with each passing day.
A huge chunk of military aid to Ukraine, including weapons, equipment and financial assistance came from the United States.
Between February 2022 and the end of August 2024, the US gave $61.1bn (£48.4bn), according to German think tank the Kiel Institute.
Germany has given $11.4bn (£9bn) in military aid, the UK $10.1bn (£8bn), Denmark $7bn (£5.6bn), and the Netherlands $5.5bn (£4.4bn).
BBC reports that long-range missile approval from President Biden for Ukraine to use against Russia is likely to be followed by the UK and France.
Western nations have donated more than $100bn (£79bn) of military aid to Ukraine.
The House of Commons Library in England last week has a report detailing the military assistance to Ukraine.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, bilateral military assistance has been significantly stepped up, with many allies supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine for the first time. For some countries such as Germany, and historically neutral countries such as Sweden, this has represented a significant reversal of their previous defence policies which ruled out providing offensive weapons.
As the conflict in Ukraine has evolved, so have the types of weaponry being provided. There have been fears that the provision of increasingly more sophisticated weaponry could escalate the conflict.
Air defence remains a priority, along with the supply of ammunition and long-range strike capabilities. Delays in assistance are considered by NATO to have impacted Ukraine’s ability to defend its lines and Russian forces have subsequently made tactical gains in eastern Ukraine.
Several countries, including the UK, have said that weapons donated to Ukraine could be used, in self-defence, to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia. To date, those permissions have not extended to the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against targets deep in Russian territory. That operational caveat has, however, been under review. In response, in May 2024 Russia accused NATO and the US of “provoking a new level of tension” and in September 2024 President Putin said the use of long range missiles against Russian targets was a ‘red line’ that would amount to direct NATO participation in the conflict. In mid-November 2024, and in response to the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to Russia to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration reportedly lifted those restrictions. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that any use of long-range missiles to attack Russian territory would be met with an “adequate and significant” response.
Allies have also increasingly turned their attention towards practical implementation of the long-term security guarantees that were promised to Ukraine in July 2023. At the centre of those plans is the continued provision of modern equipment, long-term capability development, and the strengthening of Ukraine’s defence industrial base to achieve greater self-sufficiency in weapons production.
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This briefing paper sets out the headline military commitments to Ukraine by its main allies and partners, and any potential issues in terms of ongoing support. It does not examine the deployment of forces to the eastern flank of NATO, or wider humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine.
US military support to Ukraine
The US is the largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine. At the time of writing, the total level of military assistance provided by the US since the start of the Biden administration stands at $61 billion (PDF). $60.4 billion of that funding has been provided since February 2022.
The latest levels of funding reflect several new substantial packages of assistance announced by the US administration after Congress approved a $60.8 billion funding package for Ukraine towards the end of April 2024, after several months of delay.
It is unclear what impact the 2024 US presidential election will have on longer-term support for Ukraine. President-elect Donald Trump has opposed further military assistance to Ukraine and has made a negotiated peace agreement a key priority for his forthcoming term in office, although the details of any proposals are yet to be seen.
UK military assistance
The UK is one of the leading donors to Ukraine, alongside the US and Germany. To date, the UK has pledged £12.8 billion in support to Ukraine since February 2022, of which £7.8 billion is for military assistance. This includes £3 billion for military assistance in 2024/25.
The UK is providing both lethal and non-lethal weaponry, including tanks, air defence systems and long-range precision strike missiles. While the UK has committed to training Ukrainian fast jet pilots, combat fighter aircraft will not be provided.
The UK is also hosting a training programme (Operation Interflex), which is supported by several allies. Over 45,000 Ukrainian personnel have been trained so far.
NATO and EU
NATO, as an alliance, has been clear in its political support of Ukraine and fully supports the provision of bilateral military assistance by individual allies. NATO has been helping to coordinate requests for assistance from the Ukrainian government and has been supporting the delivery of humanitarian and non-lethal aid through its pre-existing Comprehensive Assistance Package. In July 2024 NATO agreed to take on a greater role in the coordination of military assistance and training among NATO allies and will work in conjunction with the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Allies also agreed to a “minimum baseline funding of €40 billion [for Ukraine military assistance] within the next year”.
Ukraine is not a NATO member, however, and therefore isn’t party to NATO’s mutual defence clause under Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty. As such, NATO troops will not be deployed on the ground in Ukraine. Allies have also ruled out imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine because it would bring Russia into direct conflict with NATO forces.
The European Union is also providing non-lethal and lethal arms and training through its European Peace Facility (EPF). This is the first time the bloc has, in its history, approved the supply of lethal weapons to a third country. To date, the EU has committed €11.1 billion of EPF funding for military support to Ukraine, including €5 billion for a dedicated Ukraine Assistance Fund which was agreed in March 2024. Reaching an agreement on that fund has taken several months amid disagreements on the size of the fund and how it should operate.
