Nearly Half of Europe’s Ukraine Military Aid Comes from New Procurement, Not Stockpiles
Europe is increasingly delivering military aid to Ukraine directly from factories through procurement contracts rather than from existing arsenals.
The Gaze reports this, referring to new data from Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
“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,” said Taro Nishikawa, head of the institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker.
The think tank estimates that €4.6 billion of the €10.5 billion in military aid provided by European states in May and June came from procurement deals. The figures include the EU as well as the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, European producers have delivered €35.1 billion worth of newly manufactured weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, surpassing the $33.7 billion (€30.7 billion) worth of equipment supplied from U.S. production lines as aid.
Europe’s reliance on procurement has grown sharply as national stockpiles dwindle and arms production ramps up to meet sustained demand. In 2024, procurement accounted for 59% of European military aid to Ukraine, up from just 11% in 2022.
Germany leads Europe in total military aid to Ukraine with €16.5 billion, followed by the UK (€13.8 billion) and Denmark (€9.16 billion), the tracker shows. France ranks sixth, with €5.96 billion, despite being the EU’s second-largest economy and home to major defence manufacturers.
More procurement contracts are expected in the coming months as EU countries explore tapping the European Commission’s new €150 billion SAFE loan programme for military acquisitions to support Ukraine.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the vast majority of Ukrainian citizens still consider Europe to be a reliable ally of Ukraine.