What Does Ukraine Give Back to the Countries Supporting It?

Jun 02, 2026 13:32 Updated Jun 02, 2026 13:54

6 min read

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Joseph Place

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Cooperation between Ukraine and its European partners has become deeper over time, and now Ukraine is in a position to help its partners back. The situation in 2026 is significantly different to that of 2022, and shows who is stepping up to lead the way not only for Ukraine's security but their own. 

Which countries are supporting Ukraine in 2026?

Ukraine’s international support network has evolved significantly. While the United States once dominated military assistance, European countries and broader international coalitions now play a bigger role in funding Ukraine’s defense, supplying weapons, and investing in long-term security cooperation.

How the PURL initiative helps arm Ukraine

The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) is an initiative under NATO, its partners, and allies to fast-track US-made weapons to Ukraine. Ukraine orders US-made weapons, which are approved by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). This is then passed on to the USA for further approval; contracts are then established and funded by European partners, as well as non-EU and non-NATO partners, and the aid is sent quickly to Ukraine. 

This initiative has been growing. In May 2026, Norway allocated $300 million to the fund. Earlier in March, Bulgaria joined PURL, alongside nations such as the UK, Romania, Albania, Canada, and Poland. It is one of the key ways Ukraine is now acquiring global support. This has totaled billions of dollars—the fund is estimated to reach $15 billion this year. One key focus so far has been air defense, which is crucial for Russian missile and drone attacks.   

Ukraine’s European partners

In December 2025, support from the EU surpassed that of the USA in terms of weapons purchases and aid spending. The EU finally agreed to release the €90 billion ($104 billion) loan to Ukraine after Hungary withdrew its veto due to the change in leadership. In addition, EU countries pledged €21 billion to Ukraine ($24 billion) in April 2026. 

Many EU countries have stepped up significantly as US support has reduced, and are crucial partners to Ukraine. For example, Germany has pledged €11.5 billion ($13.46 billion) to Ukraine and has become Ukraine’s largest provider of arms. 

Outside the EU but in Europe, countries such as Norway and the UK cooperate with Ukraine in various ways. The UK signed a 100-year partnership agreement with Ukraine, providing defense and training support. Norway, in addition to providing assistance through PURL, pledged 8 billion to Ukraine to support energy and defense.  

How Ukraine is helping other countries strengthen their defense

Something that is different from 2022 is that Ukraine provides a lot back to the countries that also provide aid. 

Ukraine’s drone expertise and manufacturing capabilities enable it to share defense knowledge with others. Many countries are turning to Ukraine now for help. For example, Ukraine is cooperating with the aforementioned partners and the Baltic countries, with its expertise in air defense for drone warfare. The Drone Deal is a plan to increase drone production, with the intention of attracting foreign investment, selling globally to partners, and providing drones to the Ukrainian armed forces. 

Joint ventures benefit both countries, for example, Germany and Ukraine’s drone partnership, where both create long-range drones. Additionally, there is the program Brave Germany, which also involves sharing information and general cooperation to enable Germany to access Ukraine’s DELTA ecosystem, Ukrainian technologies, and the opportunity to train AI models using real combat data jointly. Similarly, Ukraine and Norway have a bilateral agreement under which both countries assist each other in terms of defense. Ukraine’s new partnerships are truly beneficial to all involved. 

Beyond Europe, Ukraine intends to export drones even to the USA. It has also sent experts to  Gulf States and is selling drones to many Middle Eastern countries, after many of them came under attack by the same type of drones from Iran that Ukraine has been dealing with for years, because of the Russian invasion. 

How Ukraine’s international role has changed since 2022

US-made weapons are important to Ukraine’s defense; however, US aid has essentially stopped since the beginning of 2025. While during some periods of the war, pauses in US aid looked existential, Ukraine is now able to continue fighting Russia thanks to its own military and industries, and the support of its European and other partners, such as Japan and Canada.  

Data from the Kiel Institute shows how aid has changed over time: 

As evident by the PURL initiative’s continued growth in terms of funds and members, support for Ukraine does not appear to be slowing down. Europe and other PURL partners are committed to Ukraine’s defense, and more countries recognize it is a mutually beneficial arrangement, especially thanks to Ukraine’s military experience and expertise in drone warfare. 

The other key change is that Ukraine is strengthening the security of other nations. This is a result of its growth in military industries: it can halt and even reverse Russian advances, conduct long-distance strikes on Russia regularly, and constantly innovate and develop. 

As stated by Veronica Anghel and Giuseppe Spatafora in an article for the European Union Institute for Security Studies, “the EU must change many of the outdated assumptions that still anchor its security and defence policies. It must be clear-eyed about the direction of travel other actors have taken. The US is no longer a partner on which Europeans can afford to remain dependent.” Such cooperation with Ukraine helps achieve this by providing back to European autonomy. Additionally, the same report notes that “Europe faces a drawn-out contest of attrition, not a single decisive showdown,” when it comes to Russia, and, therefore, must take the threat from Russia seriously, and recognize that a Ukrainian victory is directly in its interests. 

Ukraine’s present and future contributions will no doubt help other countries around the world. If more countries sign partnerships, invest, and cooperate with Ukraine, they can benefit from Ukraine’s unique experience in modern warfare, thereby increasing their own defensive capabilities. 

Ukraine still needs assistance with closing the sky and fighting Russia’s invasion. This is why the PURL initiative is crucial for Ukraine: it provides much-needed air defense. However, the position Ukraine is in in 2026 is far from the one it was in 2022. It is now an equal partner, which is becoming a cornerstone of European and global security.

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