US support at rock bottom - Surprising player that kept Ukraine armed in 2025
Illustrative photo: weapons on the front line (Getty Images)
Europe increased its military aid to Ukraine by 67% in 2025, effectively replacing support from the US, which collapsed by 99%, according to the updated data from the Ukraine Support Tracker and an analytical paper, Kiel Policy Brief, by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
The year 2025 marked a turning point in support for Ukraine. According to updated data from the Ukraine Support Tracker by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the global distribution of aid to Kyiv has fundamentally shifted.
While American assistance has virtually come to a halt, European countries have made a remarkable push, effectively stepping in to replace Washington’s "shield."
Sharp decline in US assistance
The report shows that US support in 2025 fell by nearly 99% compared to the average for 2022–2024. Whereas the United States had previously allocated billions annually in military, financial, and humanitarian aid, 2025 saw a 99% drop in assistance.
There was only one "symbolic" military support package worth approximately €0.4 billion, and no new major financial or humanitarian commitments were recorded.
European support increased
Against the backdrop of the steep reduction in US aid, European countries significantly expanded their contributions:
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military assistance from Europe increased by 67%.
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Financial and humanitarian support rose by 59%.
As a result, the overall volume of international aid to Ukraine in 2025 remained close to the levels of previous years, despite the sharp decline in support from the United States.
Who became new leaders in support
A new "core" of donors has emerged within Europe.
The largest European providers of military aid in 2025 were
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Germany – around €9 billion;
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United Kingdom – over €5.4 billion;
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Sweden – €3.7 billion.
Norway and Denmark also made significant contributions to the military sector.
Interestingly, the Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark, and Sweden) proved the most committed, allocating more than 0.6% of their GDP to weapons for the Ukrainian armed forces. Meanwhile, the share of Eastern and Southern European countries in military deliveries declined significantly.
New support mechanisms
One of the key tools was the introduction of the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List) mechanism, through which around 75% of missiles for Patriot systems and nearly 90% of ammunition for other air defense systems were funded by European partners in 2025.
In total, 24 donor countries pooled €3.7 billion to purchase weapons directly from US stockpiles.
Investments in Ukraine's defense industry: New trend
Instead of simply delivering ready-made weapons, partners began buying arms directly from Ukrainian factories:
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By the end of 2024, such contracts accounted for only 4%;
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By the end of 2025, the share had jumped to 22%.
Forecasts for 2026 are optimistic thanks to the new EU Ukraine Support Fund, totaling €90 billion. Of this, €60 billion is earmarked specifically for supporting Ukraine’s defense industry, enabling the country to become more autonomous in weapons production.
Japan intends to join a NATO initiative allowing the supply of ammunition, equipment, and other US-made resources to Ukraine.
Additionally, in mid-January 2026, Albania joined the PURL initiative.
By the end of December 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that more than 20 countries had joined the PURL initiative, specifically, 24.
