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Nahar Net
6 days ago
- Business
- Nahar Net
Military aid to Ukraine: Europe gives more, widening gap with US
by Naharnet Newsdesk 12 August 2025, 20:00 Europe again increased its military aid to Ukraine in May and June, unlike the United States, and is depending increasingly on its defense industry rather than existing weapons stockpiles, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy said Tuesday. Europe, the United Kingdom included, sent or earmarked a total of 80.5 billion euros ($93.7 billion) in military aid between the start of the war in February 2022 and the end of June 2025 against 64.6 billion euros allocated by the United States. The Germany-based Institute's data shows that the overall European military aid had outstripped the United States in the spring for the first time since June 2022. "A significant proportion of the weapons provided no longer comes from stockpiles but is procured directly through the defense industry," the institute said. "This means that Europe now also leads the U.S. in terms of total volume of military aid provided through industry since the start of the war." Taro Nishikawa, a project lead at the research body's Ukraine Support Tracker, said it was "a clear indication of the expanding role of defense manufacturing in military assistance." In May and June, Europe earmarked 10.5 billion euros of military aid to Ukraine: Germany put up a package of five billion euros, followed by Norway with 1.5 billion euros and Belgium with 1.2 billion euros. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Denmark each earmarked between 500 and 600 million euros. At least 4.6 billion euros of the European military aid, or 44 percent of the overall amount in May and June, is set to be channeled through procurement contracts, mainly with Europe-based defense firms, notably based in Ukraine, the Kiel Institute said. Over the same period, Washington approved major exports of arms to Ukraine in May but not in the form of military aid under the Kiel Institute's definition because they have to be paid for by Ukraine itself. The United States was the main provider of aid to Ukraine before Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20, 2025 when he broke with his Democrat predecessor Joe Biden's Ukraine support strategy. U.S. Vice President JD Vance told the conservative news channel Fox News, in an interview broadcast on Sunday, that he believed Washington had now ended its financial support for Ukraine. "But if the Europeans want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers, we are okay with that," he said. Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday to reach, according to the U.S. president, a possible agreement on exchanging territory to bring an end to the war in Ukraine sparked by the Russian invasion more than three years ago.
Euractiv
6 days ago
- Business
- Euractiv
Nearly half Europe's aid for Ukraine coming from procurement rather than stockpiles, says think tank
Much of the military aid Europe is now sending to Ukraine is being delivered from factories through procurement deals rather than out of existing military stockpiles, according to new data from Germany's Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The shift comes as the European defence industry continues to expand production, while the United States under President Donald Trump has started selling weapons to Ukraine rather than donating newly produced gear as aid. 'Europe has now procured more through new defence contracts than the United States –marking a clear shift away from drawing on arsenals toward industrial production', said Taro Nishikawa, head of the Ukraine Support Tracker at the Kiel Institute. Such deliveries account for at least €4.6 billion of the €10.5 billion worth of military aid sent from Europe to Ukraine in May and June, the think tank found. The figures include the EU as well as the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. Since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, European producers have delivered a combined total of €35.1 billion worth of newly produced military equipment and munitions since 2022, according to the think tank's calculations. That compares to €30.7 billion worth of equipment as military aid from production lines in the US. "For the first time since the start of the Trump administration, the United States approved major arms exports to Ukraine in May – but not as military aid," the think tank noted. "Instead, these are sales that Kyiv must finance itself." European countries, meanwhile, have significantly turned to procurement contracts with armaments firms to deliver aid to Ukraine as existing military stockpiles were depleted and weapons factories expanded in response to booming demand. In 2024, weaponry delivered under procurement deals accounted for 59% of European military aid to Ukraine, up dramatically from just 11% in 2022, a previous study from the think tank showed. Leaders and laggards Germany leads European countries in military aid to Ukraine at €16.5 billion, followed by the UK at €13.8 billion and Denmark at €9.16 billion, according to the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support tracker. The German government has boosted financial support to Ukraine in recent months, including a new €5 billion package in military aid announced in May. That package will include funding for the production of long-range weapons systems inside Ukraine. France, the EU's second-largest economy and home to some of Europe's largest defence contractors, is only in sixth place with €5.96 billion. In March, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a €2 billion package of military aid, including anti-tank missiles, air-defence systems, fighter jet missiles, ammunition and production of equipment in Ukraine. More European contracts to deliver weaponry to the Ukrainian armed forces could be inked in the coming months, as EU countries look to tap the European Commission's new €150 billion SAFE military procurement loan programme to support to Kyiv. A number of countries has expressed interest in using SAFE funds to support the Ukrainian war effort. Bulgaria, among the few countries to publicly detail SAFE spending plans so far, has suggested using borrowed SAFE money to procure 155mm artillery shells for Ukraine via joint contracts with other EU countries. Countries have until the end of November to submit detailed SAFE spending plans to the Commission. (bts, jp)
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Military aid to Ukraine: Europe gives more, widening gap with US
PARIS: Europe again increased its military aid to Ukraine in May and June, unlike the United States, and is depending increasingly on its defence industry rather than existing weapons stockpiles, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy said Tuesday. Europe, the United Kingdom included, sent or earmarked a total of 80.5 billion euros ($93.7 billion) in military aid between the start of the war in February 2022 and the end of June 2025 against 64.6 billion euros allocated by the United States. The Germany-based Institute's data shows that the overall European military aid had outstripped the United States in the spring for the first time since June 2022. 'A significant proportion of the weapons provided no longer comes from stockpiles but is procured directly through the defence industry,' the institute said. 26 EU leaders say Ukraine should have freedom to decide its future 'This means that Europe now also leads the US in terms of total volume of military aid provided through industry since the start of the war.' Taro Nishikawa, a project lead at the research body's Ukraine Support Tracker, said it was 'a clear indication of the expanding role of defence manufacturing in military assistance.' In May and June, Europe earmarked 10.5 billion euros of military aid to Ukraine: Germany put up a package of five billion euros, followed by Norway with 1.5 billion euros and Belgium with 1.2 billion euros. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Denmark each earmarked between 500 and 600 million euros. At least 4.6 billion euros of the European military aid, or 44 percent of the overall amount in May and June, is set to be channelled through procurement contracts, mainly with Europe-based defence firms, notably based in Ukraine, the Kiel Institute said. Over the same period, Washington approved major exports of arms to Ukraine in May but not in the form of military aid under the Kiel Institute's definition because they have to be paid for by Ukraine itself. The United States was the main provider of aid to Ukraine before Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20, 2025 when he broke with his Democrat predecessor Joe Biden's Ukraine support strategy. US Vice President JD Vance told the conservative news channel Fox News, in an interview broadcast on Sunday, that he believed Washington had now ended its financial support for Ukraine. 'But if the Europeans want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers, we are okay with that,' he said. Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday to reach, according to the US president, a possible agreement on exchanging territory to bring an end to the war in Ukraine sparked by the Russian invasion more than three years ago.
