More than 62,000 million euros in one year. This is the total amount that Ukraine’s allies have pledged to spend to militarily support the country at war with Russia from February 24, 2022, according to a report published by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. 70% of this sum comes from the United States.
The Ukrainian military is dependent on US aid.
In fact, Washington has allocated a budget of 44.3 billion euros to Ukrainian military aid. They are, by far, the most prodigal since the United Kingdom, in second position, contributed ‘only’ 4,900 million while France ranks eighth with 660 million euros, according to data updated by the German think tank.
The aid includes commitments, not deliveries, of all types of weapons and equipment provided to the Ukrainian military, as well as items such as food and gasoline, and financial assistance – to be minimized because it represents only 1% of the total – destined for military purposes. .
The importance between actual delivery and commitment is especially notable for the United States, whose 44 billion euros represent the total budget set aside for this military aid, but almost half of which, for the moment, has not materialized specifically in the delivery of armament. indicates the institute.
The think tank also points out that the sums deployed to help Ukraine are far less than those spent on the Korean War or Vietnam and Iraq.
If the first place of the Americans is not surprising given their economic and military power, other smaller countries are also among the largest donors. In sixth place we find the Netherlands but above all, in third place, Poland.
In an interview with Euronews in late January, Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country is “clearly in a leading position with regard to military aid to Ukraine.” A statement that the institute’s figures confirm.
Poland, Ukraine’s staunch ally against Russia, regularly pushes to send more tanks and even fighter jets to its neighbor.
The Europeans supply almost as many heavy weapons as the Americans.
Howitzers, tanks, rocket launchers… Heavy weapons are essential for Ukraine if it wants to maintain its offensive and retake its territory.
The United States largely dominates the list of donors, including all types of military aid. On the other hand, if we focus solely on the shipment of heavy weapons, therefore with greater destructive capacity, Europe is not far behind with 4.4 billion in total compared to the 5.4 billion in the United States.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been demanding tanks and other heavy weapons from his allies since the start of the war. Several countries, including the United States and Germany, have recently announced the shipment of tanks while France has not, for the moment, made a commitment. Ukraine has already received 368 tanks, 269 howitzers and 49 rocket launch systems and is still waiting for hundreds more, according to figures from the think tank.
“In general, the member countries of the European Union are reluctant to provide support to Ukraine, while mobilizing very large subsidies to cushion the consequences of the war at home,” the institute notes in its conclusion.
Source: BFM TV
