Ukraine aid falls to lowest level since the start of the war
The figures from the "Ukraine Support Tracker" are sobering for Kiev. The promised war aid has reached an all-time low. A further delay in support packages would "significantly strengthen" Putin's position, warns the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
New pledges of aid to Ukraine hit an all-time low between August and October 2023, falling by 87% compared to the same period in 2022, according to the latest update of the Ukraine Support Tracker by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Of the 42 donors included, only 20 have pledged new aid packages in the past three months. In the period from August to October 2023, the total value of new packages amounts to just 2.11 billion euros. This is the lowest amount since January 2022, the month before the large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine.
According to the study, the largest donor of military aid is still the USA with a total volume of 44 billion euros. However, Germany is rapidly catching up with military commitments amounting to over 17 billion euros, it says. Smaller countries, particularly the Nordic states and the Netherlands, are also playing a growing role. "Ukraine is now increasingly reliant on a core group of supporters such as the US, Germany and northern and eastern European countries, which continue to pledge and deliver both financial support and key weapons such as F-16 fighter jets," the institute writes.
Of the total 25 billion euros in pledges for heavy weapons between January and October of this year, 43 percent came from the USA and 47 percent from all EU countries and institutions combined. The rest comes from other donors, in particular the UK and Canada. From August to October, the EU countries pledged 780 million euros for heavy weapons, the USA 500 million euros.
IfW: Hesitation strengthens Putin
It is not only the current figures that are likely to worry Kiev. The outlook is not rosy either: the largest outstanding aid pledge - that of the European Union - has not yet been finally approved and the USA's pledges are declining. A dispute is also raging in Washington over aid to Ukraine, with Congress currently blocking further funds for the country.
"Our figures confirm the impression that supporters have become more hesitant in recent months," says Christoph Trebesch, head of the team that compiles the Ukraine Support Tracker. Ukraine is increasingly dependent on a few core donors such as Germany, the USA and the Nordic countries. "Given the uncertainty over further US aid, Ukraine can only hope that the EU will finally approve its long-announced 50 billion euro aid package. A further delay would significantly strengthen Putin's position."
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- The decrease in military aid to Ukraine from Western countries, including the USA and Germany, could potentially provide Russia with an opportunity to further strengthen its position in the ongoing conflicts, as highlighted by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
- The prolonged delay in approving the EU's 50 billion euro aid package to Ukraine, coupled with the declining aid pledges from the USA, could significantly improve Russia's position in its military conflict with Ukraine, according to the analysis by Christoph Trebesch and his team.
- The hesitancy displayed by Western countries, particularly the USA, in providing further military aid to Ukraine during the ongoing wars and conflicts has raised concerns in Kiev, as Ukraine increasingly relies on the support of key donors such as Germany and the USA.
Source: www.ntv.de
