US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed the United States has spent $350 billion (€333bn) to support Ukraine, saying that is $200bn (€190bn) more than Europe has spent.
He has used the scale of US support as a justification to demand a massive $500bn (€475bn) deal on Ukrainian minerals from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
President Trump's figures have been rejected by Mr Zelensky and other European leaders, including France's President Emmanuel Macron.
So, what are the facts when comes to support given by the US and Europe to back Ukraine’s fight against Russia?
The influential German research group, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, maintains a database on spending and aid commitments to Ukraine called the Ukraine Support Tracker (UST).
It is the most cited database on the issue, and includes figures on military, financial, and humanitarian aid committed by countries around the world since diplomatic ties with Russia ended on January 24, 2022.
According to the UST data, the US spent €118bn on aid to Ukraine as of 31 December 2024. This is broken down into €64 billion in military aid and €50 billion in financial and humanitarian allocations. A further €4bn has been committed but not yet allocated.
During the same period, European nations and institutions (like the European Commission) had spent around €132bn. That is broken down as €70bn in financial and humanitarian aid and €62 billion in military aid. An additional €115bn has been committed but not yet allocated.
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When tracking military aid, the UST does not include the estimated cost of activities such as training Ukrainian soldiers, which often happens outside of Ukraine.
As a result, its figures differ somewhat from those tallied by the US federal body tasked with tracking US support for Ukraine.
The US federal government body, the 'Ukraine Oversight Interagency Working Group,’ estimates that the US has given $182.75bn (€174.16bn) in military aid since the full-scale invasion.
Another $20 billion could be added to the US total if loans to Ukraine given as part of a G7 plan are included in the US total.
Regardless, the total US number would still be far off President Trump’s figure of $350bn (€333bn). The figures indicate the claim that the US has spent $200billion more than Europe to be incorrect.
However, all data shows the US as the largest single assistance-contributing nation to Ukraine. It is also the world’s largest economy.
When comparing the scale of assistance as a proportion of a country’s economy (using the metric Gross Domestic Product), Estonia tops the list, followed by Denmark, and then other Baltic nations like Lithuania and Finland.
According to the Kiel Institute figures, which do not include the cost of support given to Ukrainian refugees outside of Ukraine, Ireland ranks near to the bottom of the list, just ahead of EU countries like Malta, Cyprus, and Hungary.
However, as a proportion of population, Ireland has taken the sixth-most number of Ukrainians seeking protection in the European Union.
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Loans vs Grants
Another point of contention in relation to the extent of support provided to Ukraine from Europe and the US has been the financial mechanisms used to give the assistance.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on 19 February, President Trump claimed "Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back.".
He repeated the statement during a meeting at the White House on Monday with France’s President Emmanuel Macron.
"Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine, they get the money back," President Trump told reporters.
Interrupting the US president, President Macron said "to be frank, we paid 60% of the total effort and it was through - like the US - loans, guarantees, grants and we provided real money – to be clear."
Mr Trump is partially correct in that more aid provided by Europe has been given in the form of loans.
According to the European Commission, around one third of the aid provided to Ukraine has been in the form of loans, 65% was in grants. By comparison, the vast bulk of US aid – 90%+ - has been in direct grants.
However, it is worth noting that initial ‘unconditional’ cash grants from European nations given in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine were replaced by loans. This was done to add specific reform obligations aimed at ensuring anti-corruption, pro-democracy, changes within Ukraine.
Much of the cost of the interest on the loans is being covered by European countries themselves through a subsidy, and under recent deals, Ukrainian repayments may be covered using billions of Russian assets currently frozen by European banks.
The European Commission describes the loans as "highly concessional."
It is also worth noting that the aid provided in relation to the war in Ukraine in grants or loans is not necessarily provided through the government of Ukraine.
Much of the equipment sent by the US to Ukraine is being replaced or manufactured in the United States. The American Enterprise Institute estimates two thirds of the US spending on Ukraine assistance was spent in the US or on US forces.
According to a report for the US Congress, $46.5b of the $131bn of US spending until mid-2024 "related to Ukraine" was for "increased US military activity in Europe."
Additionally, while it is a process to provide aid, the process is also resulting in economic mini booms in parts of America. While the economies of Europe have suffered from the upheaval caused by the invasion, some European arms manufacturers are benefiting also.
Analysts have noted such processes have also modernised western military capabilities, something many western and geopolitical analysts say has been long-awaited.
One report from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in 2024 was titled directly: "How Supporting Ukraine Is Revitalizing the U.S. Defense Industrial Base."
In other words, the process of giving aid to Ukraine benefits more than just Ukrainians.
