Europe, including the United Kingdom, has outstripped the United States in total military aid to Ukraine for the first time since mid-2022, with a growing share of support sourced directly from defence industry production rather than existing stockpiles, according to data published on August 12 by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

The Germany-based institute said European governments had committed or sent €80.5bn ($93.7bn) in military aid between the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and the end of June 2025, compared with €64.6bn from the US.

“A significant proportion of the weapons provided no longer comes from stockpiles but is procured directly through the defence industry,” the institute noted. “This means that Europe now also leads the US in terms of total volume of military aid provided through industry since the start of the war… From the start of the war through June 2025, Europe has allocated at least €35.1bn in military aid via defence procurement—€4.4bn more than the United States.”

In May and June alone, European countries earmarked €10.5bn in new military aid. Germany accounted for the largest share with a €5bn package, followed by Norway with €1.5bn and Belgium with €1.2bn. The Netherlands, the UK and Denmark each pledged between €500mn and €600mn. The Kiel Institute calculated that at least €4.6bn — 44% of the total for the two months — would be delivered through procurement contracts, largely with European defence companies, including manufacturers based in Ukraine.

“Military aid to Ukraine is increasingly determined by the capacity of the defence industry,” says Taro Nishikawa, project lead of the Ukraine Support Tracker. “Europe has now procured more through new defence contracts than the United States—marking a clear shift away from drawing on arsenals toward industrial production. To ensure timely and effective delivery of the promised aid, Europe therefore needs a strong and resilient defence industry.”

Over the same period, the US approved major arms exports to Ukraine in May, but these did not qualify as military aid under the institute’s methodology because Kyiv will pay for them itself.

The shift reflects a change in Washington’s policy since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, breaking with the Ukraine support strategy of his predecessor Joe Biden. US Vice-President JD Vance told Fox News on Sunday: “I believe Washington has now ended its financial support for Ukraine. But if the Europeans want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers, we are okay with that.”

Financial support for Ukraine now largely relies on the ERA loan mechanism (Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration). This initiative, launched by the G7 and the European Commission, provides Ukraine with a total of €45bn in loans, financed through proceeds from frozen Russian assets. In May and June, the EU disbursed €2bn, Canada contributed €1.5bn, and Japan allocated around €2.8bn.

“The ERA loan mechanism is a key tool for ensuring Ukraine’s financial stability amid rising reconstruction costs and economic strain caused by the ongoing war,” says Nishikawa. “However, as the assistance pledged in October 2024 is gradually disbursed and the available funds diminish, it remains uncertain whether donors can sustain this level of support in the long run.”