The phone call between the US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin relating to a possible respite of the War in Ukraine has established a roadmap that provides an initial cease partial fire of 30 days as regards the airspace and the sea, one Stop attacks on energy infrastructure – already violated by Russia – and a series of non -negotiable conditions wanted by Putin, in particular theTotal interruption of military aid in Kiev by other European countries. Same thing for sharing intelligence information to Ukrainian security services. Also, theUkraine should interrupt her rearmament.
Record of imports of weapons for Ukraine
In the declarations following March 18, the date of the telephone interview between Trump and Putin, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky He has already opened to the possibility of giving way to the partial fire, but has boiled as the request that his country stops investing in military expenses. Despite the initial stages of the conflict, Ukraine has held up mainly thanks to US and European military support, now the country It produces more than 40% of its equipment and ammunition internallypercentage that aims to increase in the future.
Despite this, to date the Ukrainian defensive effort is still based largely on the purchase and supply of weapons from abroad, so much so that theUkrainian in the period 2020-24 became the largest importer of weapons in the worldwith a growth of almost 100 times compared to 2015-19. In total, the country received the8.8% of global weapon imports over the past five years.
Although Donald Trump has denied that he has ever discussed with Vladimir Putin of the possibility of interrupting the supply of military aid to Ukraine, many European countries are still preparing for the event that Washington decides to do it. Or rather, to redo it, given that the United States have already interrupted military and intelligence supplies to Ukraine for a couple of weeks, as a retaliation after the dispute between Trump and Zelensky in the oval studio of the White House in late February. But how much does the support of European countries weigh in the Ukrainian military effort?
Military aid provided to Ukraine from the EU
Until the end of 2024, over 360 billion euros have been prepared (part of which, however, has not yet been really allocated), as noted by the “Ukraine Support Trackerdatabase that the Kiel Institute compiles from February 2022 to monitor military, financial and humanitarian support provided by the governments of 41 countries to Ukraine.
In total theEurope has allocated 132 billion euros to Kiev (70 in financial and humanitarian aid and 62 in military aid) against the 114 billion in the United Statesdivided between 64 for the armaments and 50 for financial and humanitarian support. Focusing on military aid, the Greater European supplier was Germanywhich between the beginning of 2022 and the end of 2024 reached around 13 billion euros, both by sending armaments such as Leopard 2 tanks and participating in joint ammunition purchasing initiatives. According to Sipri, the Second European supplier and the third globally was Polandthat the training of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers also took charge.
A shared effort
Even France has progressively increased its support for Ukraine, providing its armed forces armored vehicles from VAB troops, Light Armies Amex-10 RC and other artillery pieces. Paris also began to provide Mirage 2000-5 combat planes And, long -haunt missiles and bombs Aasm Hammer. In collaboration with Italy, he also committed himself to providing another Samp/T aerial defense systema very important earth -earth missile system to intercept missiles and drones directed towards strategic infrastructures or Ukrainian inhabited centers.
Although less “advertised”, even smaller countries have made a great contribution to the defense of Ukraine. For example, i Netherlands have provided armored vehicles, anti-tank systems and F-6 combat combat planes, in collaboration with the Denmark. According to what announced in August 2023, the two countries are gradually sending Ukraine 61 fourth generation fighter F-16as well as training the pilots.
Belgium also participates in the training of hunting pilots, as well as sending combat vehicles and cacciamina ships, essential to secure the Ukrainian routes in the Black Sea. Sweden, after having abandoned its historic neutrality and entered NATO together with Finland, has contributed to the defense of Kiev with surveillance and control planes, anti -tank weapons and aerial defense systems.
Widening the field to another European country but no longer a member of the Union, the Great Britain It is a leading supplier for Kiev: according to the data provided by the British government, at the moment he sent military aid to Ukraine for a value of About 8 billion poundsincluding tanks, artillery ammunition for 155mm cannons, air surveillance systems Gravehawk and attack and surveillance drones (supplied in partnership with Latvia).
