Back home, Vladimir Putin has little to show for his war in Ukraine. It has cost the deaths of thousands of his own soldiers and has exposed serious deficiencies in Russia’s armed forces. Moreover, Mr Putin has spurred Western countries to form a united front and come to Ukraine’s assistance. Total bilateral aid from G7 governments and EU members and its institutions now stands at €27bn ($29bn), according to data released on May 2nd by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a think-tank.
Collectively, EU members, the EU Council and Commission, and the European Investment Bank have been the most generous, committing a total of more than €12bn to Ukraine’s government as of April 23rd. But America too has been lavish. It has pledged around $11bn, a figure which could rise by $33bn if Congress grants the latest request by the White House for military, economic and humanitarian aid.
America has long been Ukraine’s main benefactor in dollar terms. Between 2014, when Russia first invaded eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea, and 2021, it provided more than $2.5bn in security assistance. This year it has already committed more than $4bn in military aid (such as loans or grants to buy weapons), more than any country in the EU or G7, and almost as much as the other top five countries—Poland, Germany, Britain and Canada—combined. Their total stands at roughly $4.5bn.
But as a share of its economy, America’s commitment pales beside those of countries in eastern Europe eager to contain Mr Putin’s advance. As a percentage of GDP, Estonia—whose economy is just 0.1% of the size of America’s—has been overwhelmingly the most generous, pledging 0.8% of its output to Ukraine. Others in eastern Europe, including Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Lithuania, have committed between 0.2% and 0.7% of their GDPs. Using that metric, America’s contribution is 0.05%.
There are limitations to the database. First, it does not account for private donations, or government aid to international organisations. In some countries this creates a significant gap in the data. For instance, in Germany, private donations for humanitarian aid already exceeded €630m in March, more than the amount of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and neighbouring countries promised by Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, on March 24th. Second, it does not account for efforts made to accommodate refugees by countries such as Poland, which has welcomed more than 3m refugees since the outbreak of the war. Third, some countries have stopped declaring in public what they send to Ukraine, to avoid drawing Russia’s ire or helping its military planning.
What is clear from the data, however, is that the West has raised a significant amount of financial, humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s invasion. By declaring war, Mr Putin has surrounded his country with hostile neighbours ready to reach deep in their pockets. ■
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