NATO Support to Ukraine as One of the Most Important Aspects of the War

By Ondřej Prágr

NATO member states and their support to Ukraine is crucial in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Aid has been provided since the very beginning of the war and could be divided into three categories: military aid, humanitarian aid, and political support. Without this support, the situation of refugees, Ukrainian battlefields, and public awareness of the conflict would be undeniably different. Solidarity has reached unprecedented proportions in this conflict. It has been clear since the beginning of the war that Western countries and NATO member states are willing to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression unanimously.

Military aid has begun to flow to Ukraine on a large scale, and the abundance of military equipment and new technologies made it possible for the country to be successful in its defence and to take offensive action to retake the occupied territories. In terms of humanitarian aid, member states have dealt with the issue of refugees in a very decisive manner and have been able to integrate them into local society in a short space of time. Political support is also an integral part of the assistance directed to Ukraine, which also ensured the visibility of the conflict and public awareness in member states. Government officials’ statements and in-person meetings with Ukrainian politicians are evidence of strong solidarity and willingness to remain supportive of the embattled country.

During the Madrid Summit in June 2022, NATO member states affirmed their stance against Russian aggression and formulated a new NATO Strategic Concept for 2022 that claims that the Russian Federation’s use of conventional, cyber, and hybrid means is the most significant threat to the Alliance and the preservation of peace in the Euro-Atlantic area.[i] This is a significant difference from the NATO Strategic Concept of 2010, which sees Russia as a partner: “NATO-Russia cooperation is of strategic importance as it contributes to creating a common space of peace, stability and security. NATO poses no threat to Russia. On the contrary: we want to see a true strategic partnership between NATO and Russia, and we will act accordingly, with the expectation of reciprocity from Russia.”[ii]

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has pledged NATO’s unceasing support, a strong commitment to respecting and restoring Ukrainian territory, and forcing Russia to negotiate an end to the war. Jens Stoltenberg also declared that NATO member countries must provide military support to the country in the case of a long-running conflict.[iii] Since the beginning of this year, NATO has been emphasizing the need to provide Ukraine with equipment that will give it technological superiority in combat—a more recent development that we will discuss below.

Military Aid: Changing Developments in the Battlefield

In the military sector, NATO members have provided combat weapons and ammunition, heavy weapons, vehicles, military systems, and soldier training to Ukraine. The biggest contributors in this area are the United States and Great Britain, which regularly supply Ukraine with military material. All NATO member states unanimously agreed on the need to supply military equipment to Ukraine. Since January 2022, the United States has invested approximately US $24.9 billion in Ukraine’s military defence. This aid includes Stinger anti-aircraft systems, Javelin anti-armour systems, Switchblade tactical drones, 105 mm Howitzers artillery, Mi-17 helicopters, T-72B tanks, radars, mortars, explosives, ammunition, medical supplies, field equipment, and much more.[iv] On 6 January 2023, the United States announced the delivery of 50 Bradley armoured vehicles, known as tank killers, for the first time since the war began.[v] This equipment was given to help change the battlefield situation on the frontlines. Ukrainian soldiers have strong motivation, determination, and now the ability to repel attacks and take the offensive against a numerically and materially stronger opponent because of the technologies supplied.

Since the beginning of this year, a major change in the supply of Western military aid to Ukraine has been the delivery of dozens of Western tanks, which are expected to advance Ukrainian troops on the battlefield in breaching the enemy’s defensive lines. Specifically, these are the Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams tanks, which are considered the most technologically advanced tanks. The disadvantage of these tanks, however, is the need for long-term training for the soldiers who will operate them on the battlefield. The machines will most likely take several months to arrive on the ground. Ukraine has also demanded the delivery of fighter jets to help it resist Russian air power. However, the delivery of the fighter jets has been rejected by the United States and other NATO member state leaders.

Another critical point of military assistance is the information provided by intelligence officers and its subsequent application on the battlefield. Since 2014, British soldiers have been involved in training Ukrainian troops. Now, Ukrainian military personnel is being trained by foreign troops both on Ukrainian territory and on the territory of NATO member states as it takes weeks to acquire the skills to handle and operate a number of the weapons that have been supplied by the Allies. In the case of military systems, training and education can take up to several months. Ben Wallace, UK Secretary of State for Defence, issued a statement that the UK has supported Ukraine militarily through 2022 and will continue to support the country to the same extent in the following year.[vi] The UK’s latest military equipment package included an essential anti-aircraft system that now protects Ukraine from air attacks. Other heavy military equipment and anti-aircraft systems have been supplied by the United States, France, and Germany. This has significantly reduced the success rate of Russian-fired missiles, the vast majority of which are disabled before they can cause major damage to infrastructure or lives. Other methods of Russian airstrikes include Iran’s Shahed 136 drones, against which the supplied air defences are very effective. Airstrikes have most often targeted energy infrastructure in recent months. This has caused power shortages for the normal operation of homes, shops, and industry. Blackouts are now common throughout Ukraine, and it can only be assumed that this is a tactical effort by Russia to demoralise Ukrainian civilians. According to the available information and the relentless determination to resist, this tactic has simply not achieved its goal.

Among the states of continental Europe, military support is provided by Western, Central, and Eastern European countries and the Baltic states. Because of socio-cultural similarities and historically similar experiences with Russia’s expansive foreign policy, support for Ukraine is a powerful theme in Central and Eastern European states. In terms of bilateral aid delivered in terms of state GDP, countries from this sub-region can be seen at the top of the list of donors. Total aid to Ukraine converted to national GDP between 24 February 2022 and 20 November 2022 was highest in Estonia with 1.1% of national GDP, followed by Lithuania with 0.93%, and Poland with 0.5%.[vii]

Humanitarian Aid and European Solidarity

The second essential component of support for Ukraine is humanitarian aid. Several international NGOs and many non-profit volunteer organisations from European countries have been involved in this form of aid since the beginning of the war. Aid imported to Ukraine mostly has consisted of medical supplies, food, clothing, and medicine. Other humanitarian assistance includes building emergency shelters, school rehabilitation and education, psychosocial support, or cash assistance to ensure the basic needs of refugees.[viii] NATO and the European Union are helping to coordinate the requests from Ukraine and allied states that are transporting humanitarian and non-lethal support to their destinations. Member states have also supported international efforts to restore Ukraine’s grain exports, which is important for reducing the world food crisis. In the area of grain exports, Turkey is an important player due to its geographical location and is seeking to resume the supply of Ukrainian grain. Turkish-owned ships are also involved in exports, one of which was probably inadvertently destroyed by a Russian missile in Kherson port.

Securing and then transporting this assistance to places of need has played a key role in protection options for Ukrainian refugees and residents who had to leave their homes for security reasons. As of 10 January 2023, the number of Ukraine refugees in foreign countries was nearly 8 million people.[ix] At the start of this massive migration crisis, European states provided facilities for these people, primarily in terms of accommodation, employment opportunities, access to health systems, financial support systems, and general advisory services. In view of the speed and size of this migration wave, this situation was handled very well and in a united manner by European states. The immigration situation raised a wave of solidarity in Europe: the assistance centres dealing with registrations, work permits, and residence permits were constantly overloaded in the first months of the war. Many residents in Central and Eastern Europe volunteered at these centres to help the incoming refugees. Fundraisers for humanitarian aid to Ukraine were also held in these countries. In several countries, the amount of voluntary financial assistance reached the highest records in the history of these collections.

Members of humanitarian organizations have also provided assistance to newly liberated areas, such as Kherson and Lyman, for example. Their assistance consists of repairing houses and water supply systems, as well as restoring the electricity supply.[x] Given the cold winter weather, the availability and rapidity of this assistance is even more critical for Ukrainian residents. Replacement window fillings are being transported to the areas through humanitarian organizations to replace shattered windows after heavy shelling and to protect against cold penetration from outside. Several international humanitarian NGOs are currently working in Ukraine, the most well-known of which are the Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), and People in Need, as well as UN suborganizations such as UN-OCHA, UNDP, UNHCR, and UNICEF.[xi]

In 2014, the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) was established to monitor the human rights situation in the country, focusing on conflict zones in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea. The HRMMU was directly created for the monitoring of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, the HRMMU has documented many severe violations of international law and civil rights. Monitoring was carried out in 14 occupied and re-liberated cities in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, where witnesses and victims of violence were interviewed to determine whether Russian troops had committed war crimes. HRMMU believes, based on the information found, the number of civilian deaths, and the use of explosives in populated areas, that Russia carried out war crimes in Ukraine.[xii] Another problem is the detection and proof of sexual violence, which is very common in war and conflict. This problem is often difficult to prove, as victims of these crimes are often unwilling to come forward and testify publicly. These victims may later face a lack of respect and contempt in local society. Respect for victims of sexual violence has long been low. The monitoring and subsequent resolution of war crimes and crimes against human rights is also dealt with by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which considers combating these crimes as one of the key elements of ensuring security.[xiii]

Political Support as a Tool for Securing Long-Term Support

The third integral part of assistance to Ukraine is formal and political support. This support ensures the visibility of the conflict to the country’s population through local government or political figures. The media coverage of the conflict itself and the appeals for support in society increase the level of solidarity and wider social acceptance in terms of citizens supporting financial aid both through the European Union and public fundraising. The media appeal is also helpful for sending military support to Ukraine, as we have seen in the case of sending tanks in Germany. The category of political support includes collective meetings of NATO member states and their representatives, visits of state representatives of European countries as a sign of sympathy and political support, and political statements condemning Russian aggression and their actions during the conflict. The most publicised political endorsement was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s state visit to Washington, where he gave a speech and met with US President Joe Biden, who is a strong supporter of Ukraine and whose foreign policy encourages other actors to maintain this support.

It is vital for Ukraine that political support from the rest of the world persists. The support of NATO organizations has been and is existentially important for the country, and it is certain that without this organization, the situation and the balance of military power would look very different. Political support is the mechanism that determines the overall supply of military equipment and thus influences the situation on the battlefield. It also influences the export and quantity of humanitarian material provided, the situation of refugees, and their subsequent adaptation in other states. At the same time, through political discussion, it is possible to exert international pressure on Russia and thus potentially influence its military actions. Many prominent politicians have visited Ukraine since the beginning of the war, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and the prime ministers of the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and other countries.[xiv] These visits are seen as strong expressions of support, giving hope and courage to Ukraine. At these meetings, Ukraine’s requests for supplies of military and humanitarian aid are also often discussed.

Political sympathy and the willingness to support Ukraine is the cornerstone for all other related foreign policy activities. The support of political leaders is also tied to cultural contexts. NATO, led by the United States, is primarily involved in targeting military support and efforts to secure technological superiority to dislodge Russian troops near Ukrainian territory. Central and Eastern European states are most involved in the delivery of humanitarian aid and the refugee situation. This is due to cultural and geographical proximity. Another factor influencing the determination of the Central and Eastern European states is their historical experience with Russia and its past influence on the whole region, which arouses mostly negative emotions in these states and their inhabitants.

President Zelensky and his role as the highest political authority in the state is excessively important in gaining political support. His popularity, excellent communication skills, and determination have been able to gain substantial influence and benefits for Ukraine. His trips to retaken areas near the front line have also boosted the morale of soldiers. The promotion of state symbols is strongly associated with the war and the president. Since the beginning of the war, the head of state has not worn a formal suit to meetings or video calls but a military uniform with Ukrainian state symbols. Ukrainian flags are now also flying all over Europe to symbolise support and solidarity. The symbolism is an imaginary reminder of the Ukrainian resistance.

Ukraine is currently supported politically also through sanctions imposed on Russia, which significantly affect its economy and military capabilities. NATO member states and the European Union have already agreed several times on sanctions packages that will be imposed on Russia. Among the largest are an embargo on imports of Russian oil and gas, a ban on the export of military technology, the withdrawal of many international companies from the Russian market, and last but not least, a ban on several Russian banks from participating in the SWIFT banking system, through which international payments and the flow of funds take place.[xv] Many Russian politicians and oligarchs who own property and businesses around the world have also been targeted. Individual states have seized or blocked these assets so that their owners cannot access them. The Russian Central Bank itself had its foreign exchange reserves blocked at the start of the invasion, and Russian foreign dollar reserves were also blocked by the United States. Without these financial deposits, the Russian Federation is finding it difficult to make bond payments to foreign banks and fulfil other financial obligations.

Conclusion

NATO countries have been supporting the Ukrainian resistance for over 11 months. It has been clear from the beginning of the conflict that NATO member states are determined not to let Russian aggression come to a successful end and not to leave Ukraine alone in its fight by providing military, humanitarian, and political support. This collective action has caused an overall reversal of power in the invasion, in which the Russian army initially had the advantage. After a series of deliveries of military technology, heavy weapons, and the provision of information assistance, Ukraine has been able to launch counterattacks and recapture previously lost territories. Military supplies from NATO member countries have caused a complete turnaround on the battlefield. The technologies supplied have enabled them to defy a statistically superior and better equipped enemy. After a wave of deliveries in the first six months of the conflict, several smaller NATO member states have already provided so much military equipment that they are unable to supply the country with additional equipment without resuming regular production.[xvi] Though UK military supplies have remained at the same level of production for a long time, they are still sending supplies to Ukraine on a regular basis. The United States, which is the leading military power in the NATO alliance, has not only continued supplying military equipment to Ukraine but has also began supplying heavy military equipment to Ukraine, which will undeniably be a great advantage in the ongoing fighting. The quantity and diversity of equipment supplied by the United States is increasing.

There is now a slight decline in humanitarian aid to Ukraine. After the first major refugee wave, humanitarian aid slowly began to wane. The largest imports of humanitarian material were recorded at the beginning of the invasion, when most people left their homes, and this aid played a significant role in the issue of the arrival of refugees and displaced populations. European states preparing for the arrival of huge wave of refugees were also integral in providing the necessary facilities and materials. The decline in the level of balanced humanitarian aid is now primarily due to an already much better controlled situation that no longer requires quickly dealing with huge numbers of people arriving. Work with incoming refugees is already systemically managed in each country. However, there are still many NGOs and volunteers operating on Ukrainian territory to provide essential medical assistance, help with restoring water and electricity supplies, and essential psychological aid. These forms of assistance in Ukraine can be expected to persist until the end of the military conflict and probably the subsequent post-conflict reconstruction of the country. Overall supplies of humanitarian material are still being sent to Ukraine now but not to the enormous extent needed in the war’s first months. 

On the issue of maintaining the same level of political support, the duration of the conflict is crucial. We are currently seeing a slow decline in support from the international community. If the war transitions into a protracted conflict, it is likely that engagement and political support for Ukraine will continue to decline gradually. However, there are many leaders in the international community, and especially in the NATO alliance, who still rank support for Ukraine as one of their most important political and geopolitical objectives. Among the unabated supporters are the states of Central and Eastern Europe, which are culturally and geographically close to Ukraine, as well as the United States, which since the Cold War has been a symbol against Russian aggression and undemocratic expansion.

About the Author

Ondřej Prágr is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Relations at the Department of Politics and International Relations of West Bohemian University in Pilsen. He is also a Research Intern at the Center for Security Analysis and Prevention in Prague. He focuses on Eastern European security and politics. He is fluent in Czech, Russian, and English.

Notes

[i] NATO, “Strategic Concept,” Adopted by Heads of State and Government at the NATO Summit in Madrid, 29 June 2022, https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2022/6/pdf/290622-strategic-concept.pdf.

[ii] NATO, “Strategic Concept,” Adopted by Heads of State and Government at the NATO Summit in Lisbon, 19–20 November 2010, 29, https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/pdf_publications/20120214_strategic-concept-2010-eng.pdf. 

[iii] “Ukraine must get long-term support, warns Nato chief,” BBC, January 1, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64140403.

[iv] “U.S. Security Cooperation with Ukraine,” U.S. Department of State, accessed January 18, 2023, https://www.state.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-ukraine/.

[v] “More Than $3 Billion in Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine,” U.S. Department of Defense, accessed January 17, 2023, https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3261263/more-than-3-billion-in-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/.

[vi] Ben Wallace, “UK military support for Ukraine continues with delivery of counter explosive ordnance equipment,” Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom, accessed January 14, 2023, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-military-support-for-ukraine-continues-with-delivery-of-counter-explosive-ordnance-equipment.

[vii] “Total bilateral aid to Ukraine as a percentage of donor GDP 2022, by country,” Statista Research Department, accessed January 17, 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1303450/bilateral-aid-to-ukraine-in-a-percent-of-donor-gdp/.

[viii] “Ukraine,” European Commission, accessed January 15, 2023, https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/where/europe/ukraine_en.

[ix] “Ukrainian Refugee Situation,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, accessed January 17, 2023,  https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine.

[x] “Ukraine,” People in Need, accessed January 16, 2023, https://www.peopleinneed.net/what-we-do/humanitarian-aid-and-development/ukraine.

[xi] “Humanitarian NGOs in Ukraine,” Open Door Ukraine, accessed January 18, 2023, https://opendoorukraine.nl/humanitarian-affairs/humanitarian-ngos-in-ukraine.

[xii] “Ukraine: Monitoring the devastating impact of the war on civilians,” Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, accessed January 19, 2023, https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/05/ukraine-monitoring-devastating-impact-war-civilians.

[xiii] “Declaration: Standing with Ukraine,” NATO Parliamentary Assembly, 111 SESP 22 E rev. 1 fin, 2022, https://www.nato-pa.int/download-file?filename=/sites/default/files/2022-05/111%20SESP%2022%20E%20rev.1%20fin%20-%20DECLARATION%20ON%20UKRAINE.pdf.

[xiv] Sanya Mansoor, “Here’s All the World Leaders Who Have Visited Ukraine,” Time, accessed January 19, 2023, https://time.com/6188365/scholz-macron-draghi-visit-ukraine/.

[xv] “What are the sanctions on Russia and are they hurting its economy?” BBC, accessed January 19, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60125659.

[xvi] “Denmark to send artillery to Ukraine, delaying own build-up,” Reuters, January 19, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmark-send-artillery-ukraine-delaying-own-build-up-2023-01-19/.  

Image: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_37750.htm