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Ukraine remains at great risk. But according to RAND's Howard Shatz, it’s important to remember that there have been positive developments for Kyiv, too. Western allies are finally making good on their promise to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” ramping up support in the form of economic assistance, weapons, security deals, and command freedom on the battlefield.
This new wave of Western support began in December, when the European Council agreed to open negotiations for Ukraine to join the European Union. It continued in 2024 with tens of billions of dollars in grants and loans coming from the EU, as well as a $61 billion aid package from the United States.
A growing number of Ukraine's backers are now allowing the weapons they've supplied to be fired at military targets in Russian territory, giving Kyiv a potential boost on the battlefield as it hopes to blunt Russia's ongoing offensive on Kharkiv. Further, more than 30 countries have agreed to negotiate bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.
Shatz says that these and other developments have allowed Ukraine to gain momentum that could allow it to “protect its independence, achieve a favorable outcome to the war, and embark on a reconstruction program that will firmly link it to the Euro-Atlantic community.”
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