Countries sending arms and aid to Ukraine

PARIS: Many countries including neutral non-aligned Sweden have started to send military or humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Thursday.

The United States, Canada and 19 European countries have so far responded to urgent Ukrainian appeals for military equipment.

United States

Washington said Saturday it is sending an extra $350 million in military aid to Kyiv to bring its total support to more than a billion dollars over the last year.

“This package will include further lethal defensive assistance to help Ukraine address the armoured, airborne and other threats it is now facing,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

On Sunday, Blinken announced $54 million in new humanitarian aid to be spent through NGOs.

Canada

Canada is sending lethal military weaponry to Ukraine and loaning Kyiv half a billion Canadian dollars ($394 million) to help it defend itself.

Germany

Berlin has broken a longstanding taboo of not exporting arms to conflict zones in vowing to send Ukraine 1,000 anti-tank weapons, 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles and nine howitzers.

It is also donating 14 armoured vehicles and 10,000 tonnes of fuel.

Sweden

Stockholm is also breaking its historic neutral stance to send 5,000 anti-tank rockets to Ukraine as well as field rations and body armour.

It is the first time Sweden has sent weapons to a country in armed conflict since the Soviet Union invaded neighbouring Finland in 1939.

France

France, which has already sent help, is dispatching more military equipment as well as fuel.

Paris says it has acted on earlier Ukrainian requests for defensive anti-aircraft and digital weapons.

Britain

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is committed to “provide further UK support to Ukraine in the coming days”, without specifying what it might be.

Belgium

Belgium says it will supply Ukraine with 3,000 more automatic rifles and 200 anti-tank weapons, as well as 3,800 tons of fuel.

Netherlands

The Dutch defence ministry says it is sending “200 Stinger missiles as soon as possible”, after a shipment Saturday of sniper rifles and helmets.

It adds to the 20 million euros ($22 million) of humanitarian aid it has already promised.

Czech Republic

Prague said Saturday it is sending 4,000 mortars “in the next few hours” as well as an arsenal of 30,000 pistols, 7,000 assault rifles, 3,000 machine guns as well as scores of sniper rifles and a million bullets.

The Czechs had already promised Kyiv 4,000 mortars worth 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) which have yet to be delivered.

Italy

Rome has sent 110 million euros ($123 million) in immediate aid to the Ukrainian government as “a concrete sign of our support,” Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio tweeted.

Portugal

Portugal is giving Ukraine night vision goggles, bulletproof vest, helmets, grenades, ammunition and automatic G3 rifles.

Greece

Greece, which has a large community in Ukraine — 10 of whom have been killed with many more in the firing line — is sending “defence equipment” as well as humanitarian aid.

Romania

Bucharest — which shares a border with Ukraine — is offering to treat the wounded in its 11 military hospitals as well as sending fuel, bulletproof vests, helmets and other “military material” worth three million euros ($3.3 million).

Spain

Madrid has promised to send 20 tonnes of aid to Ukraine, mostly medical and defensive equipment such as bulletproof vests.

Israel

Israel says it is sending 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid such as medical equipment, water purifiers, tents and sleeping bags.