Europe Compensates for U.S. Pullback as Ukraine Aid Holds Steady in 2025

Total international aid allocated to Ukraine remained broadly stable in 2025 despite a full halt in U.S. support, as European countries and institutions sharply increased their contributions, according to new data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

The latest update from the Ukraine Support Tracker shows that European military aid rose 67% above the 2022–2024 annual average, while European financial and humanitarian support increased 59% over the same benchmark period.

Even so, overall military allocations to Ukraine in 2025 were still 13% lower than the 2022–2024 average due to the U.S. withdrawal. Financial and humanitarian allocations fell only marginally—around 5%—and remained above 2022 and 2023 levels when adjusted for inflation.

EU institutions take the lead

A major shift in 2025 was the growing role of EU-level financing. The share of financial and humanitarian aid delivered through EU institutions rose from about 50% in 2022 to nearly 90% in 2025, totaling €35.1 billion.

“The new €90 billion loan agreed in late 2025 is part of a broader trend,” said Christoph Trebesch, head of the Ukraine Support Tracker. “Ukraine’s growing budget needs are increasingly financed through EU-level grants and loans.”

Trebesch added that EU-level mechanisms improve burden-sharing in financial aid by aligning contributions more closely with member states’ economic size. That pattern, however, does not yet extend to military support, which still relies on bilateral commitments.

Military burden increasingly concentrated

The report finds that European military aid is becoming concentrated among a smaller group of countries, particularly in Western and Northern Europe.

Western Europe accounted for 62% of European military allocations in 2025, recovering after a downturn in 2023. Germany and the United Kingdom together represented about two-thirds of Western Europe’s military contributions between 2022 and 2025.

Northern Europe remained the second major donor region, with its share rising from 18% in 2022 to 36% in 2023 and staying elevated thereafter.

By contrast, Eastern and Southern Europe saw declining shares of military aid. Eastern Europe fell from 17% in 2022 to 2% in 2025, while Southern Europe dropped from 7% to 3% over the same period.

“In 2025, Northern Europe provided roughly one-third of Europe’s military aid while accounting for only 8% of GDP among the 31 European donors in the tracker,” Trebesch said. “Western Europe contributed roughly in line with its economic weight, while Southern Europe remained a comparatively small donor despite representing 19% of GDP.”

What the tracker covers

The Ukraine Support Tracker follows military, financial, and humanitarian assistance pledged since January 24, 2022, across 41 donor countries. It records government pledges and separately lists commitments made through EU institutions, including the European Commission and the European Investment Bank.

Private donations and support from international organizations such as the IMF are not included in the tracker’s main database.

The Kiel Institute said the dataset is continuously updated and refined as new information becomes available. READ MORE HERE.