Only €42 billion of Germany's €100 billion in Ukraine aid counts as direct support, study finds

The study found that €35.9 billion was spent within Germany, largely on Ukrainian refugees, while another €22 billion represents future military aid commitments.

Germany's government reported in August that it had provided or planned €100 billion in support for Ukraine as of June 30, 2026, including €43.3 billion in civilian assistance and €57.6 billion in military aid.

However, researchers found that roughly 80% of the reported civilian assistance was spent in Germany itself.

The largest share, €27.45 billion, went toward social benefits for Ukrainian refugees. Another €7.15 billion supported their accommodation and other needs through German states and municipalities, while €1.3 billion covered export and investment guarantees for German companies operating in Ukraine.

Only €7.4 billion of the civilian assistance was directed to Ukraine, including €6.3 billion for humanitarian aid, emergency energy assistance and reconstruction, €1 billion in support through an IMF-administered account, and €100 million in debt relief.

"Most of what the federal government counts as civilian support for Ukraine is actually spent in Germany - on Ukrainians living here," said Christoph Trebesch, head of the Ukraine Support Tracker.

"This money does not help the Ukrainian government defend itself against Russian attacks. After all, we do not describe social spending on Syrian refugees as bilateral aid to Syria," he added.

On military assistance, the researchers identified €22.7 billion provided between 2022 and 2025, another €11.6 billion allocated for 2026, and €22 billion in future commitments. The total identifiable amount, €56.3 billion, was €1.3 billion below the government's reported figure.

The researchers noted that Germany stopped publishing detailed military aid figures in June 2025, making independent verification increasingly difficult.

Trebesch stressed that Germany remains Europe's largest donor to Ukraine but said the government's presentation of its support had become increasingly confusing.

"The €100 billion figure is misleading when described as bilateral aid to Ukraine," he said. "That is regrettable, especially considering how much Germany actually does."