Increased Arms Purchases for Ukraine Outpace U.S. Acquisitions by Europe
In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, financial support has been crucial. A significant portion of this aid comes from the mechanism of loans under the European Cooperation Agreement (ECA), provided by the G7 and the European Commission, totaling 45 billion euros from frozen Russian assets.
The Ukraine Support Tracker project, led by Taro Nishikawa, monitors military, financial, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine using open data. The project covers 40 countries, including EU member states, G7 countries, and others.
According to the research, the United States has been the largest single provider of military aid to Ukraine from 2022 to 2025, delivering approximately €115 billion in weapons and military funds. In comparison, European countries, including the EU institutions, Germany, the UK, and others, have contributed substantially but less than the US.
The European Union institutions, Germany, and the UK are the largest European contributors. Germany has provided an estimated €16.5 billion in military aid alone, while the UK has committed up to £13 billion (~€15 billion) in military aid to Ukraine from 2022 through 2025, including ongoing commitments of about £3 billion annually until at least 2030–2031. Sweden, as a smaller contributor, has allocated approximately USD 275 million (~€260 million) towards military support and procurement of new defense materiel for Ukraine by 2025.
A notable development in 2025 was the new US-EU agreement, whereby the US manufactures weapons funded by the European Union, with a significant portion designated for Ukraine's defense. This deal effectively channels EU funding through US defense contractors to supply Ukraine, reflecting a blending of European financial backing with American defense industry production.
In addition, Europe is currently purchasing more weapons through new defense contracts than the United States, indicating a shift from using arsenals to industrial production. From May to June 2025, Europe allocated 10.5 billion euros in military assistance, at least 4.6 billion euros of which is planned to be directed through contracts for purchases with defense companies.
In May and June 2025, the EU allocated 2 billion euros, Canada contributed 1.5 billion euros, and Japan allocated around 2.8 billion euros. The Netherlands, the UK, and Denmark have each allocated 500-600 million euros.
However, the aid promised in October 2024 is being gradually disbursed, and the uncertainty remains whether donors can maintain this level of support in the long run. In May, the US approved a significant volume of weapons exports to Ukraine, but Kyiv must finance these purchases independently.
The Ukraine Support Tracker project has stated that military aid to Ukraine is increasingly determined by defense industry capacities. The aid provided is no longer coming from stocks but is being purchased directly from the defense industry. This shift is reflected in Europe's increased purchases through new defense contracts compared to the United States.
In summary, while European countries have been significant providers of military aid to Ukraine, the US defense industry contracts and direct aid represent a substantially larger share of military assistance. The 2025 US-EU agreement also demonstrates increased cooperation, with Europe increasingly funding weapons produced by the US for Ukraine’s defense.
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