Americans are weary of the assistance provided to Ukraine. Many Republicans feel that "America is paying for the war," and this theme is expected to dominate the primaries before the presidential elections in 2024.
The question that many voters on the other side of the Atlantic are asking is, "I was in favour of the U.S. providing funding to Ukraine at the start of the war, but at this point, haven't we done enough?" This is a pang of conscience for Europeans who do less for a neighbour at war.
Lately, the EU has reached a deal to send Ukraine 1 million rounds of ammunition within the next 12 months. The plan will see the EU both donate ammunition from its own stockpiles and also jointly purchase new shells for Ukraine. It also leaves open the possibility that the EU could help countries collectively buy missiles for Ukraine.
The deal represents a landmark juncture for the EU, marking the first time the self-described peace project has plotted to jointly buy arms for a country at war. “A historic decision,” as EU chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, rightly said.
Less firm is what the EU plans beyond the €2 billion meant to jointly buy ammunition and cover donations of existing munitions.
President Joe Biden's administration announced a €3 billion military assistance package to support Ukraine in its war to repel Russia's invasion. Americans are growing skittish about what they see as a blank check to fund a never-ending war on foreign soil. And if you look at the data, American voters are right. The US is providing the bulk of the assistance.
According to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute, the United States sent nearly €73 billion in military, humanitarian, and financial aid to Ukraine in 2022. As that number continues to climb, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the U.S. Congress in December to appeal directly to lawmakers and the American people for additional assistance. This is justified because he is receiving less from his European partners.
The total amount of aid received by Ukraine from February 2022 to February 2022, according to the Kiel Institute Ukraine Support Tracker, is €156.7 billion. Of this amount, €79.5 billion was financial aid to the Ukrainian state budget. More than €65.3 billion was military aid, primarily in the form of weapons, vehicles, and ammunition. The remaining €12 billion was state humanitarian aid.
The largest donor to Ukraine is the United States. Of the total aid given to Ukraine, they are responsible for €73 billion, or 47 percent. The European Union, counting the Commission, the Council, the European Investment Bank, other EU institutions, and all member states, gave aid worth €55 billion.
In addition to the states and the Union, more than €13 billion in aid was provided by international institutions, notably the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the UN. Aid from these institutions is exclusively financial support for Ukraine's budget.
US provides military assistance. The weapons the U.S. has provided to Ukraine have an estimated value of €44 billion, or 60% of all U.S. aid. Financial aid amounted to €25 billion, and humanitarian aid to €3.7 billion.
The European Union is supporting Ukraine primarily with financial aid. The financial aid of the entire Union, amounts to €34.7 billion, 63 percent of the total. Military aid was worth €13.7 billion, and humanitarian aid €6.4 billion.
The Union has thus provided Ukraine with more humanitarian and financial aid than the United States.
However, the values of EU aid are underestimated because not all countries always report the value of aid. The value of military aid packages provided by Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Portugal is unknown, along with much of Germany's military aid. Japan and Turkey have also provided military support of unknown value. Poland has given Ukraine military aid worth approximately €2.2 billion, and with the yet-to-be-delivered equipment, the total Polish support will be €2.4 billion – almost the same amount as Germany.
Financial assistance is essential for the functioning of Ukraine due to its difficult budgetary situation, with a deficit of approximately €5 billion per month. States and institutions have pledged €79 billion in budget aid, but the amounts are coming in slowly, particularly in the case of the European Commission.
It is essential for Europe to continue providing both humanitarian, financial and military aid to Ukraine, as war fatigue may set in for the United States. In the past, sending troops to fight was popular, but eventually, politicians and citizens lost interest. The same pattern may emerge regarding funding for the war in Ukraine. If this happens, Ukraine will lose, and it will be up to Europe to win the war on its doorstep. If Ukraine is lost, it will be a dark period for the Eastern member states, and there may be a potential war with members of the EU in the future.
