Whereas a decision on sending main battle tanks like the German Leopard 2 to Ukraine has been postponed for the time being, the Ramstein meeting of the pro-Ukraine alliance featured promises of a lot of other military hardware for Kiev, listed here according to donors:
The U.S. has announced further arms deliveries to Ukraine worth $2.5 billion (€2.3 billion). According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the latest aid package does not include battle tanks, but it does include another 59 Bradley tanks, 90 Stryker armored vehicles, Avenger air defense systems and thousands of rounds of ammunition. A Jan. 19 Pentagon press release reported that the Bradleys and Strykers are enough to equip two infantry brigades.
Also on the list are 53 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs) along with 350 more Humvees, assorted artillery and mortar ammunition and more rockets for the HIMARS launchers, more HARM anti-radar missiles and sundry other combat equipment. This package brings total U.S. military aid to Kiev since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine last February to more than $26.7 billion.
Just days after announcing it would supply Challenger 2 heavy battle tanks to Ukraine, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced that 600 Brimstone missiles would be sent to Ukraine. These are air-to-surface missiles intended for use against armored vehicles and tanks.
Germany confirmed its early January promise of the delivery of 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles and a Patriot anti-aircraft missile battery. In addition, according to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, seven more Gepard anti-aircraft tanks are to be delivered by February, so that Ukraine will then have 37 of these tanks. In the coming weeks, additional guided missiles of the IRIS-T SLM variant are also to be delivered, followed by a further IRIS-T SLM complete system in the spring. German support since Feb. 24, 2022 amounts to €3.3 billion.
France wants to send AMX-10 RC light battle tanks to Ukraine. However, it remains unclear when and how many of the vehicles, which are easier to maneuver than heavy battle tanks, will be delivered.
Canada is giving Ukraine 200 armored personnel carriers. The delivery is part of a military aid package worth the equivalent of about €343 million announced in November. In total, Canada has pledged military aid worth €920 million to Kiev, including armored vehicles, howitzers, winter clothing, camera drones and ammunition.
Sweden plans to provide Ukraine with the Archer artillery system. How many of the howitzer systems will be delivered is unclear so far. Sweden also plans to send Ukraine 50 CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles and NLAW anti-tank weapons, according to head of government Ulf Kristersson. With the planned deliveries, Sweden is moving away from its stance of not supplying weapons to a country at war.
The Netherlands says it is joining a “cooperation project with the U.S. and Germany” on the joint delivery of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. Accordingly, two missile launchers and missiles are involved. The Netherlands also announced it would take responsibility for training Ukrainian soldiers and provide 100 vehicles purchased from the Czech Republic that are equipped with anti-aircraft guns.
Denmark said it is donating 19 French-made Caesar howitzers to Ukraine. Kiev requested the artillery despite certain technical challenges, the Danish Defense Ministry said. However, only some of the howitzers have been delivered from France to Copenhagen so far.
Finland has promised Kiev further military aid worth €400 million. This includes heavy artillery and ammunition, according to Finnish Defense Minister Mikko Savola. It is the largest delivery from Finland to Ukraine to date. Previous pledges had a total value of €190 million.
Among the most recently pledged armaments by Estonia, worth a total of about €113 million, are anti-tank weapons as well as ammunition, according to the Estonian government. The package brings Estonian military aid to Ukraine to €370 million “or slightly more than one percent of Estonia’s gross domestic product,” it said.
