Russia calls for UNSC to meet on Western arms dealing to Ukraine

Russia has formally requested that the UN Security Council convene today to discuss Western arms supplies to Ukraine.

Kyiv depends substantially on military and financial aid from NATO and other allies. Since October, the EU collectively has provided the most support, contributing about $83.1 billion in financial aid and about $6 billion in military aid. This is closely followed by US support which has consisted of about $26.9 billion in financial aid and about $40.7 billion in military aid. By GDP, the Baltic and Scandinavian states proportionately contribute the most.

Financial aid and military support have significantly contributed to the survival of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government in Kyiv and have limited Russian military acquisitions to far eastern Ukraine. Expect Ukrainian diplomatic efforts to continue focusing on at least maintaining current levels of support especially as the war approaches its second year and attention is diverted elsewhere such as the Israel-Gaza conflict. Expect Russia to condemn Western aid to Ukraine as proxy warfare while also developing a medium to long-term strategy to circumvent sanctions and cut off aid. Part of this strategy will likely include disinformation campaigns designed to raise seeds of doubt that the funding and supplies are being used for their intended purpose and can in fact sustain Kyiv.