Foreign Military Support to Ukraine

Under the leadership of Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian military had deteriorated. It was further weakened following Yanukovych's fall and his succession by West-looking leaders. Subsequently, a number of Western countries (including UK, USA, France, Germany, Baltic countries, Poland, Australia, Canada, and Turkey) and organizations (NATO and EU) began providing military aid to rebuild its military forces.  Notably, the Ukrainian armed forces began acquiring Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles since 2019, which was first used in October 2021 to target a Russian separatist artillery position in Donbas.

As Russia began building up its equipment and troops on Ukraine's borders, NATO member states increased the rate of weapons delivery.  US president Joe Biden used Presidential Drawdown Authorities in August and December 2021 to provide $260 million in aid. These included deliveries of FGM-148 Javelins and other anti-armour weapons, small arms, various calibres of ammunition, and other equipment.

Following the invasion, nations began making further commitments of arms deliveries. Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the UK announced that they would send supplies to support and defend the Ukrainian military and government.  On 24 February, Poland delivered some military supplies to Ukraine, including 100 mortars, various ammunition, and over 40,000 helmets.  While some of the 30 members of NATO agreed to send weapons, NATO as an organisation did not.

In January 2022, Germany ruled out sending weapons to Ukraine and prevented Estonia, through export controls on German-made arms, from sending former East German D-30 howitzers to Ukraine.  Germany announced it was sending 5,000 helmets and a field hospital to Ukraine, to which Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko derisively responded: "What will they send next?  Pillows?"  On 26 February, in a reversal of its previous position, Germany approved the Netherlands' request to send 400 rocket-propelled grenades to Ukraine, as well as 500 Stinger missiles and 1,000 anti-tank weapons from its own supplies.

On 27 February, the EU agreed to purchase weapons for Ukraine collectively. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that it would purchase €450 million (US$502 million) in lethal assistance and an additional €50 million ($56 million) in non-lethal supplies. Borrell said that EU defence ministers still needed to determine the details of how to purchase the materiel and transfer it to Ukraine, but that Poland had agreed to act as a distribution hub.  Borrell also stated that they intended to supply Ukraine with fighter jets that they are already able to pilot. These would not be paid for through the €450 million assistance package. Poland, Bulgaria, and Slovakia had MiG-29s and Slovakia also had Su-25s, which were fighter jets that Ukraine already flew and could be transferred without pilot training.  On 1 March, Poland, Slovakia, and Bulgaria confirmed they would not provide fighter jets to Ukraine.

On 26 February, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he had authorised $350 million in lethal military assistance, including "anti-armor and anti-aircraft systems, small arms and various caliber munitions, body armor, and related equipment".  Russia stated that US drones gave intelligence to the Ukrainian navy to help target its warships in the Black Sea, which the US denied.  On 27 February, Portugal announced that it would send H&K G3 automatic rifles and other military equipment.  Sweden and Denmark both decided to send 5,000 and 2,700 anti-tank weapons, respectively, to Ukraine.  Denmark also provided parts from 300 non-operational Stinger missiles, that the US would first help make operational.  Turkey also provided TB2 drones.

The Norwegian government, after initially saying it would not send weapons to Ukraine but would send other military equipment like helmets and protective gear, announced on 28 February that it would also donate up to 2,000 M72 LAW anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.  In a similarly major policy shift for a neutral country, Finland announced that it would send 2,500 assault rifles together with 150,000 rounds, 1,500 single-shot anti-tank weapons and 70,000 combat-ration packages, to add to the bulletproof vests, helmets, and medical supplies already announced.

             https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine