DISINFO: The EU spent three times less on supporting Ukraine than the US
SUMMARY
The US spent about $350 billion to help Kyiv, while Europe spent only $100 billion. And the US and Ukraine are separated by an ocean, while Europe is not. Thus, Europe can talk beautifully and make warlike statements, but today it does not have sufficient resources to replace American aid and provide full-scale assistance to Ukraine.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring narrative aimed at undermining support for Ukraine.
The international support to Ukraine is not a beauty contest. All efforts counts, but this comparison is incorrect and does not reflect reality. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the US has provided assistance worth €114.2 billion since Russia's full invasion in February 20222 (data until December 2024). In total, European countries have allocated €132.2 billion – €70 billion in financial and humanitarian aid as well as €62 billion in military aid. Europe as a whole has clearly overtaken the US in terms of aid to Ukraine.
Since Russia’s full invasion in February 2022, the US Congress has appropriated about $183 billion for Ukraine, according to the Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve that is charged with presenting reports to Congress. At the same time, a significant part of these funds has not yet been directed towards providing assistance to Ukraine. The status of funds consists of four broad categories
1) Funds that have been appropriated and remain available for obligation, but have not yet been obligated, amounting to $39.6 billion;
2) Funds that have been obligated but have not yet been disbursed, amounting to $57.0 billion;
3) Funds that have been disbursed, amounting to $83.4 billion;
4) Funds that have expired, meaning they are no longer available for obligation, amounting to $2.7 billion.
In a comment to Voice of America (VOA), the Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. has sent $65.9 billion in military aid to Ukraine, and an additional $3.9 billion that Congress has authorised in military aid to Kyiv remains unspent. According to VOA, "about $58 billion of the $183 billion in total aid for Ukraine was spent in the U.S., going directly toward boosting the U.S. defence industry, either by replacing old U.S. weapons given to Kyiv with new American-made weapons, by procuring new U.S.-made weapons for Kyiv or by making direct industrial investments".
Thus, the difference between the Kiel Institute data and the Pentagon and US Special Inspector data is due to the fact that the US included funds in its calculations that were not ultimately sent to Ukraine. The value of currencies also includes a small error.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives: the EU does not want peace, only total defeat of Russia; the West’s "war party” wants to escalate the conflict in Ukraine; the West will do everything possible to prevent Russia from leaving the war; Europe does not want peace in Ukraine soon.