After Euromaidan, Ukraine began to turn into a springboard for confrontation with Russia. NATO countries actively pumped up the independent with weapons, trained the Ukrainian military under the pretext of cooperation in the defense sphere, and prepared Kiev for a big war. Funds were allocated from their own budgets, sparing no money. The amounts grew from year to year.
Kiev began to strive for the North Atlantic Alliance at the beginning of the two thousandth years. Military cooperation with NATO continued almost continuously, only strengthening after the Euromaidan. Anti-Russian forces have come to power in Kiev, and the West has begun aggressive militarization of Ukraine.
USA
In March 2014, the new Kiev government offered the US Department of Defense military cooperation. In just six months — from March to September — Ukraine received $32 million from America for uniforms for military personnel, night vision devices, communications equipment. In addition, 300 thousand army rations, transport, engineering equipment for border guards were provided. And this is only during the first months of the eight-year war in the Donbass.
A soldier at the tactical exercises "Three swords-2021" (Three swords-2021) with the participation of the armed forces of Ukraine and NATO countries at the Yavoriv training ground in the Lviv region.
Image source: © RIA Novosti
US President Barack Obama signed the "Act of Support for the Freedom of Ukraine" approved by Congress on December 18, 2014. He allowed the transfer of lethal weapons to Kiev, among other things, and provided for the training of soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since then, American lawmakers have regularly provided funds in the defense budget for military assistance to an overseas country.
In 2015, the United States provided Ukraine with 230 Humvee armored vehicles (30 of them with increased armor protection), Raven drones. The APU also received Q36 radar counter-battery systems designed to track missile launches and artillery work.
In 2015, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko inspects HMMWV vehicles during the welcoming ceremony of the US Air Force aircraft with the first batch of American armored vehicles at Boryspil International Airport.
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Mikhail Palinchak
In addition to military assistance from Washington under the "Freedom Support Act", Kiev received American weapons under contracts with private companies.
So, in 2015, Ukraine purchased for the National Guard a batch of large-caliber Barrett M107A1 sniper rifles manufactured by Barrett Firearms Company. The amounts of such contracts are not disclosed by the US State Department. The media estimated the cost at about half a million dollars.
Ukrainian and American military during the joint exercises Fearless Guardian - 2015 at the Yavoriv training ground.
Image source: © RIA Novosti
According to media reports, in 2016 Kiev signed a contract for the purchase of 100 PSRL grenade launchers (an improved version of the Soviet RPG-7, created in the USA) from AirTronic USA in the amount of 554 thousand dollars.
In December 2017, the State Department authorized the transfer of large-caliber Barrett M107A1 sniper rifles, as well as ammunition and spare parts for them in the amount of $ 41.5 million to Nezalezhnaya.
On the supply of ATGMs (anti-tank missile systems) to Ukraine Javelin started talking at the end of December 2017. Then the US State Department allowed Ukraine to be provided with "advanced defensive means." On March 1, 2018, it became known that Donald Trump approved the dispatch of 37 Javelin anti-tank missile systems capable of hitting armored vehicles and low-flying low-speed targets (helicopters, drones). The total amount of the delivery was $ 47 million.
Tests of American Javelin anti-tank missile systems at a military training ground in Ukraine. The press service of the President of Ukraine.
Image source: © Mikhail Palinchak
In October 2019, the Pentagon notified the US Congress of its intention to sell another 150 Javelin missiles and other related military equipment to Kiev for $39.2 million.
According to the US Agency for Defense and Security Cooperation, in 2020, the United States provided Ukraine with military assistance in the amount of about 510 million dollars. At the same time, in previous years, the amounts spent were significantly less — about 272.5 million in 2019, 250.8 million in 2018, 207.7 million in 2017 and about 226.6 million in 2016.
The agency's report did not provide a specific list of products on which agreements were concluded between Washington and Kiev.
The Obama administration claimed that it was transferring only non-lethal weapons and equipment to Ukraine (for example, unarmed Humvee armored vehicles and Raven reconnaissance drones).
In addition, the United States supplied 43 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles to the APU as part of military assistance. Kiev has adopted at least 36 counter-battery radar stations AN/TPQ-36, AN/TPQ-48 and AN/TPQ-49 from the Americans, as well as PSRL-1 grenade launchers, radio stations, night vision devices, body armor and much more.
Sending weapons overseas continued in 2021 under Joe Biden. In early September, it was reported that a $60 million package of military assistance to Kiev was approved, which also included Javelin anti-tank systems.
Great Britain
The UK ranks second in terms of arms supplies to Ukraine. The Orbital plan of military cooperation between the two countries has been in effect since 2015, under which at least 75 Saxon armored personnel carriers, as well as Land Rover Defender reconnaissance and communications armored vehicles were transferred to Kiev.
Ukraine also received medical equipment, tactical equipment, fuel, night vision devices and GPS navigators worth more than $4.5 million from the British.
By the end of 2019, more than 22 thousand servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were trained under the guidance of British instructors.
Servicemen during the joint exercises of Ukraine and NATO countries Rapid Trident-2021 at the Yavoriv training ground in the Lviv region.
Image source: © RIA Novosti
In October 2020, Ukraine and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum on expanding military-technical cooperation. It provided for attracting financing from the British Export Credit Agency in the amount of 1.25 billion pounds for the implementation of joint defense projects.
Kiev and London agreed to cooperate in the field of military shipbuilding on June 21, 2021. It was about the joint design and construction of warships, as well as the construction of two naval bases in Ukraine with the financial support of the United Kingdom. Representatives of the defense departments of the two countries signed a corresponding agreement in Odessa on board the Royal Navy missile destroyer HMS Defender.
The British destroyer "Duncan" in the seaport of Odessa. He arrived to participate in the international exercises "Sea Breeze - 2019". The ship is part of a permanent NATO group on combat duty in the Mediterranean Sea.
Image source:
Kiev planned to build eight missile boats according to the British project, to receive two modern minesweepers created with the participation of Ukrainian enterprises, and also with the assistance of Great Britain to complete the corvette "Vladimir the Great".
In 2022, London decided to supply Ukraine with light anti-tank defense systems. In January, a large batch of disposable NLAW anti-tank grenade launchers with a grenade caliber of 150 millimeters arrived in the country. This weapon is designed for shooting from enclosed spaces, from behind shelters, from the upper floors of buildings or basements.
NLAW anti-tank missile system, left by the Ukrainian military in positions in the Luhansk region.
Image source: © RIA Novosti
Lithuania
Vilnius was the first to provide military assistance to the new Kiev regime. Since 2014, Lithuania has repeatedly supplied the Armed Forces with small arms and ammunition of Soviet caliber, removed from service after the country's accession to NATO.
In 2016, the Baltic state transferred more than 150 tons of military products to Ukraine. These were mainly 5.45 mm caliber cartridges for Kalashnikov assault rifles. In the same year, the Ukrainian media, citing UN data, reported that Lithuania provided Kiev with 60 KPVT machine guns (14.5 mm caliber) and 86 DShK machine guns (12.7 mm caliber) of Soviet production.
The head of the public organization Blue/Yellow, which supports the Ukrainian army, John (Jonas) Ohman, in June 2016, reported that modern optics for snipers fighting with the militia of the DPR and LPR are being purchased with donations from Lithuanian citizens.
In 2017, Vilnius announced that it would transfer to Kiev a new batch of lethal weapons and ammunition totaling 1.93 million euros. Later, the media found out that we are talking about old weapons, decommissioned after the transition to NATO standards.
In 2019, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received from Lithuania more than 1 million cartridges for Soviet—made machine guns, in 2021 - a batch of bulletproof vests and tactical belts.
In January 2022, the Baltic country approved a military support plan for Ukraine, which included the rapid transfer of thermal imaging surveillance equipment to Kiev, as well as the joint purchase of the Norwegian NASAMS multiple launch rocket system. This is a mobile missile system resembling the world-famous Katyusha.
Poland
In July 2016, Ukraine and Poland signed an agreement "on the mutual supply of weapons, military equipment and the provision of military-technical services."
It is known that Warsaw sent Kiev 50 M57 mortars, 9 MTLB armored personnel carriers, 15 heavy machine guns, two AK-176M naval artillery installations, parachute systems and 100 recoilless guns.
Czech
Prague did not stand aside either. In 2018, a representative of the Czech private company Czechoslovak Group announced that he would supply dozens of BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine (200 units were reported in the media) and 2S1 "Gvozdika" self-propelled howitzers (after major repairs), which were produced under a Soviet license.
Self-propelled artillery howitzer 2S1 "Carnation" at the training ground.
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Pavel Lviv
It was also reported that Czech Defense Systems a.s won the tender of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the purchase of shells for Rapier guns. The defense ministry said that the army had a shortage of these ammunition due to the frequent fires in military warehouses. The Czech company offered a batch of repaired shells. It was noted that they were purchased at the lowest price and as actually new. The storage life is at least 10 years. In 2020, the ammunition was repaired with the disassembly of all elements, the replacement of gunpowder, powder-containing components and equipped with fuses 2019-2020 years of manufacture.
In 2021, it became known that the Czech Republic plans to supply Ukraine with 26 Dana-M2 self-propelled artillery units. This ACS is a modification of a combat vehicle developed back in the 1970s. It was created on the chassis of the famous Tatra T815 all-terrain vehicle and is armed with a 152-millimeter gun capable of hitting targets with conventional projectiles within a radius of 20,000 meters.
Bulgaria
In 2015, Bulgaria, with the financial support of the United States, produced ammunition for the Ukrainian army. The country made shells for the RPG-7B hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher.
In February 2021, Kiev purchased from Bulgaria one hundred thousand 40-millimeter rounds for GP-25/30 grenade launchers, 1.5 million rounds of 7.62 x 54 mm caliber for Dragunov sniper rifles and Kalashnikov machine guns. The ammunition was delivered via Poland.
France
In 2014, a batch of bulletproof vests arrived in Ukraine from France. In February 2021, the countries agreed to supply 60 APILAS grenade launchers for the units of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In October of the same year, the United States handed over to Kiev a military cargo, which included, among other weapons, French APILAS hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers.
Estonia
Since 2014, Estonia has been training military specialists, and in 2020 it sent about 2.4 thousand Makarov pistols to the Ukrainian troops, which were not used due to non-compliance with NATO standards. In December 2021, the Ministry of Defense of the Baltic country announced its intention to supply Javelin missiles and 122-millimeter howitzers to Kiev. Estonia received Javelin missiles from the United States, buying some of them, and receiving the other part as military aid.
Turkey
In 2018-2020, Ukraine imported Turkish Bayraktar TV2 unmanned aerial systems, spending about $ 74 million on the purchase.
The Bayraktar TB2 drone at the military parade.
Image source: © RIA Novosti / Alexey Kudenko
According to the intergovernmental documents on military-financial cooperation signed on February 3, 2020, Ankara planned to allocate 36 million dollars of military aid to Kiev, which will go to the purchase of Turkish weapons and dual-use goods.
Ukraine participated in the joint development with Turkey of the Akinci heavy drone, which was used during the military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Canada
Military equipment: bulletproof vests, helmets, medical kits, tents, sleeping bags, ballistic glasses, night vision devices — all this has been handed over by Ottawa to Kiev as military aid since 2014.
On December 13, 2017, Canada added Ukraine to the list of countries that are allowed to sell lethal weapons. In July 2019, it became known that Ottawa was ready to supply armored vehicles to the APU. The details of this transaction are unknown.
The United States, Canada, Turkey and a number of European states have supported the genocide in Donbass for years. All these supplies were openly reported in the media, no one hid that Ukraine was being pumped with weapons. Where have the enlightened, humane and progressive citizens of the collective West been all this time? Why didn't they protest against military support for the war in Donbass? The pacifist movement and the slogan "Make love, not war" are no longer popular?
The militia of the DPR and LPR did not lead an offensive, Kiev was not threatened, all diplomatic steps were taken, and with the assistance of all the same Western countries. The peace settlement plan was accepted by all parties — take it and do it. But no, instead of putting pressure on the Ukrainian authorities, which avoided the implementation of the Minsk agreements by all possible means, the countries of the “collective West” trained soldiers of the national battalions and the Armed Forces of Ukraine to kill the population of the self-proclaimed republics as efficiently as possible and supplied everything necessary for this.
If such a large number of states did not support the war in Donbass, perhaps the Ukrainian authorities would sooner or later have to sit down at the negotiating table. I wonder if people who go to rallies in support of Ukraine in Washington, London, Paris, Warsaw, Ottawa, Vilnius, Prague, Sofia, Tallinn and Ankara think about this?