The Kiel Institute for the World Economy has compiled data on military, financial and humanitarian aid promised by world governments to Ukraine, showing billions of dollars in cash and kind crossing the border into the embattled country.
The steep rise in donations comes even as Ukraine calls for yet more heavy artillery, drones, anti-aircraft defence, anti-tank, and anti-ship weapons to be donated by the global community.
Already this week the Biden administration has confirmed it will send a further $625 million in direct military assistance to Ukraine to help it secure its borders, as Breitbart News reported.
Advanced HIMAR rocket systems, 155mm Howitzers, armored vehicles, and ammunition top the list deemed critical to Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s invasion.
The military section of the latest analysis shows the U.S. is far from alone.
Between 24 January and 3 August 2022 the U.S. was by far the biggest provider of heavy weapons, equipment, ammunition and financial aid with a military purpose.
The next-biggest provider, in euro terms, was fellow NATO member the UK, followed by Poland, Germany and Canada.
France’s 233 million euros ($230 million) of military aid place it 11th in the world, well behind the U.S. (25 billion euros), Britain (four billion euros) and Poland (1.8 billion euros).
Australia was ranked ninth out of 30 donor countries, sitting between the Baltic states Latvia and Estonia.
The Kiel Institute’s tracker shows Estonia and Latvia are the countries that have committed the largest assistance as a share of their own gross domestic product (0.9 percent), whereas the U.S. is 10th in this analysis (0.2 percent).
This data took into account 40 donor countries.
President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday at a European gathering in Prague that France plans to deliver more of mobile artillery pieces.
It has also sent 18 of its prized truck-mounted CAESAR cannons, which are able to set up, fire a highly-accurate volley at ranges of up to 25 miles and shift position before the enemy can locate them and fire back.
Australia is also ramping up its donations in cash and kind, sending “heavy weapons” to Ukraine as already delivered Bushmaster military vehicles help keep the country’s soldiers alive, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.
The Ukrainian wartime leader addressed Sydney’s Lowy Institute on Thursday, condemning Russia’s “nuclear blackmail”, praising Australia’s aid and calling on Canberra and other Western governments to keep ramping up sanctions against his country’s invaders, Nine News reports.
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) air movements operator from No. 23 Squadron guides a Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle bound for Ukraine onto a C-17A Globemaster III aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. (Australian Defence Force)
“The more weapons and ammunition we receive — artillery, drones, anti-aircraft defence, anti-tank, anti-ship weapons — the more Russia feels the responsibility for violating international law and last, the aggressor will feel that he … has little room for any escalation element,” Zelensky said via videolink.
The president called on Australia and others to use their diplomatic power to influence an upcoming U.N. General Assembly vote to condemn the annexation while acknowledging Canberra had been preparing a “significant package” to help the invaded nation, which has made significant gains against Russia in recent weeks.
“This process is ongoing as we speak, and I’m very grateful for that,” Zelensky said.