A shared history of occupation and aggression from their Russian neighbor is what unites the Baltic states and Ukraine. Whilst Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Ukraine all gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 caused old alliances to form. The continuous support by the Baltic states for Ukrainian refugees and the country’s post-war development sets an example for the wider international community on the importance of ensuring aid to Ukraine is ongoing. Here is a breakdown of Baltic aid to Ukraine.

Aid Compared to GDP

The Baltic states are three out of the five top contributors of aid to Ukraine relative to GDP. Since the beginning of the conflict, Latvia provided 0.9%, Estonia 0.8% and Lithuania 0.4% of bilateral aid as a percentage of GDP. This proves to be starkly different to the level of government aid by other Western countries; the U.S. and U.K. allocated €26.9 billion and €3.8 billion in government support, which amounted to only 0.2% of their GDPs.

Baltic aid to Ukraine is not limited to the allocation of aid to the country but also the number of refugees welcomed into the Baltic states in 2022. Estonia currently hosts 40,000 Ukrainian refugees which amounts to 3% of its population. Latvia similarly has 53,000 refugees which forms 2.7% of its population. 80,000 Ukrainians entered Lithuania, with 50,000 temporary visas issued for temporary protection. The intake of refugees in these countries is considerably larger than other large European countries like the U.K., which currently hosts 246,960 Ukrainian refugees.

Preservation of Ukrainian Culture in the Baltics

The displacement of 6.3 million Ukrainian citizens and the destruction of cultural sites risks the erasure of Ukrainian culture. However, programs within the Baltic states seek to preserve Ukrainian culture. One example is The Freedom School in Estonia which teaches Ukrainian culture and language education for 560 displaced Ukrainians. The school even received praise from the First Lady of Ukraine who told students there that the opportunity to study in two languages will give them the “freedom of knowledge.”

The World Bank, United Nations and European Commission report estimates the cost of rebuilding Ukraine to be around $486 billion. Lithuania has taken steps to ensure that it can reduce the long-term war damages to the country through the implementation of its Future of Ukraine initiative. So far the scheme rebuilt the Borodyanka school in Ukraine and re-modeled the electricity distribution network at Mykolaiv.

The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Jovita Neliupšienė explained the aim of the initiative: “Our aim is resolute—to demonstrate unwavering support for Ukraine’s reconstruction in the face of Russian aggression.”

Looking Forward

Whilst other E.U. countries such as Germany look to halve its aid to Ukraine in 2025 to €55 billion, ongoing Baltic aid to Ukraine sends signals to the international community of the ongoing need for support in Ukraine.

– Sofia Brooke

Sofia is based in Oxfordshire, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr