Recently, with the advancement of the process to end the Russia-Ukraine war led by President Trump, the actual amount of aid provided to Ukraine by the United States and other countries has become a focus of public attention. The United States’ assistance to Ukraine is estimated to be at least $175 billion, accounting for 42% of global aid to Ukraine. However, while expressing gratitude to the United States, President Zelensky mentioned that Ukraine has actually received only around $76 billion.
According to statistics from the American think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations, since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, the United States has provided approximately $175 billion in support to Ukraine, of which $106 billion was directly delivered to Ukraine, including the provision of weapons, ammunition, and financial support to fill various levels of the Ukrainian government’s budget gaps.
Different research institutions have arrived at varying figures based on different data and calculation methods.
Data released by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany on February 14th tracking international aid to Ukraine up to December 31, 2024, shows that the United States has provided nearly $120 billion in aid, while the aid from the European Union is less than half of that provided by the United States.
The tracking data also indicates that since the Russian invasion in 2022, other countries’ total assistance to Ukraine amounts to approximately $280 billion. The United States stands as the largest donor to Ukraine, contributing 42% of the total aid.
In terms of ranking countries supporting Ukraine, the United States is at the top, followed by Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan, while other major economies like France and Italy lag behind.
Looking at the ratio of aid amount to GDP in 2021, Denmark tops the list at 2.2%, followed by the UK and Sweden at 0.9%, and Ireland at 0.8%. The United States stands at 0.6%, Germany at 0.4%, and Japan at 0.4%.
The top 10 countries and organizations providing the most aid to Ukraine include the United States, the European Union, Germany, the UK, Japan, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, and France.
Among these 9 countries and 1 organization (EU), France ranks the lowest not only in total aid but also in the aid amount as a percentage of GDP, accounting for just 0.2%.
In contrast, smaller countries have provided comparatively more support to Ukraine both relatively and absolutely. For example, Denmark and the Netherlands, ranking second in the European Union, are the seventh and eighth largest donors to Ukraine, respectively.
The amount of aid provided to Ukraine as presented by the Kiel Institute includes financial support (loans, grants, etc.), humanitarian aid (food, medicine, etc.), the value of weapons and equipment provided, as well as physical donations to the Ukrainian military and financial assistance related to military purposes.
Data released by Ukraine on January 4, 2024, shows that the total financial aid from various countries and organizations to Ukraine amounted to $41.7 billion.
Apart from the EU’s share of 38.9%, the United States ranks first among countries, accounting for 27.1%, while Japan ranks fourth in the overall distribution, with a share of 7.4%, just behind the third-ranked International Monetary Fund (10.8%). However, in terms of individual country ranking, Japan ranks second.
The following countries rank subsequently: Canada in fifth place with 4.7%, the World Bank sixth with 4.6%, the UK seventh with 2.6%, Germany eighth with 1.5%, and other countries ninth with 2.4%.
Regarding the total amount of aid provided by the United States to Ukraine, President Zelensky stated on February 1st to the Associated Press, “We received about $76 billion. This has indeed been helpful, but it is by no means the $200 billion as claimed by external sources.”
Over the past three years, the United States has allocated aid to Ukraine through five separate bills. The bills in March 2022 allocated $13.6 billion, in May 2022 $40.9 billion, in September 2022 $12.3 billion, in December 2022 $47.4 billion, and in April 2024 $60.8 billion, totaling $175 billion.
There is a significant discrepancy between the aid funds reported by the United States and the actual amount received by Ukraine, which can be attributed to various reasons. However, details provided in the US appropriations bills suggest that not all funds are directly allocated for aid to Ukraine; they also cover expenses related to domestic and international projects associated with the United States.
For example, approximately half of the $13.6 billion disbursed in the March 2022 bill was allocated for humanitarian and economic assistance, while the rest was directed towards military aid for Ukraine and Eastern European allies and partners of the US.
The $40.9 billion aid plan in May 2022 included $19 billion for emergency military support to Ukraine, $16 billion for economic assistance, global humanitarian aid, various international projects, $3.9 billion for maintaining the deployment of US troops in Europe, and $2 billion for long-term support of NATO allies and defense department modernization projects.
In the $12.3 billion disbursement in September 2022, $1.5 billion was used to replenish previously sent weapons and equipment to Ukraine, including authorization for President Biden to transfer up to $3.7 billion worth of US equipment and weapons, and $4.5 billion to supply the Ukrainian government to continue operating during the war.
The $47.4 billion aid approved in December 2022, of which Ukraine could receive approximately $22.67 billion, allocated $9.3 billion for Ukraine’s security assistance program, providing training, equipment, weapons, logistics support, supplies and services, wages and allowances, maintenance and intelligence support for the Ukrainian military. Additionally, $13.37 billion was provided to the Ukrainian government to support vital economic and budget needs, including energy security, other critical infrastructure requirements, and aid to countries affected by the Ukrainian situation.
Out of the $60.8 billion aid bill approved in April 2024, besides the $25.7 billion directly provided for military equipment to Ukraine and over $7 billion to help the Ukrainian government maintain basic government services, humanitarian aid was also included, strengthening the US defense industrial base, enhancing production capacity, developing advanced weapons, ammunition, and related research, among other forms of assistance.