The US and EU nations have subsequently committed substantial financial support to Ukraine, with $73 billion and $139 billion, respectively, as recorded by the Kiel Institute.

An advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that the country’s military operations against Russia are facing a delay of six to nine months due to setbacks in the delivery of Western weapons in the autumn of 2022.

Mykhailo Podolyak, the advisor, expressed his concerns, stating that expedited weapon deliveries could have bolstered Ukraine’s defense capabilities and enabled them to launch counteroffensives more effectively. Delays in Western weapons’ transportation and approvals caused these delays, significantly impeding Ukraine’s defense readiness.

Podolyak attributed the delay to the slow response from Western nations to Ukraine’s pleas for weapons, even after the country reclaimed the eastern Kherson region last autumn. He noted that the weapons finally arrived only after these events, resulting in a time deficit of six to nine months.

Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s head of military intelligence, echoed these sentiments by indicating that the counteroffensive efforts were “out of schedule,” although he didn’t specify the exact reasons.

The Kiel Institute, which tracks promised and delivered aid to Ukraine, reported a substantial gap between commitments and actual military aid. As of July, only around half of the pledged weapons had been delivered to Ukraine.

Since Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022, Podolyak had urged swift Western intervention to assist Ukraine in defending itself against the invasion. However, the reluctance of most Western nations to provide heavy weaponry initially hindered this effort out of concern for escalation.