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Aid in Conflict: Determinants of International Aid Allocation to Ukraine During the 2022 Russian Invasion

  • Constantin Schmidt EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: December 11, 2023

Abstract

Governments have responded to the 2022 Russian invasion by committing substantial aid to Ukraine. This paper investigates this aid on a cross-national basis utilizing differences in economic, political, and geographic characteristics of donor countries. It advances the comprehension of aid allocation to Ukraine and argues that donors’ interests heavily influence bilateral aid to Ukraine. Empirically, a two-stage approach serves to identify the main determinants of aid allocation, analyzing both the initial decision to donate and the level of aid generosity. The regression analyses show that wealthier, more populous, more democratic countries as well as those who trade with Russia are more likely to support Ukraine while the impact of these factors is more nuanced when determining aid generosity. Ceteris paribus, EU and NATO members are more likely to donate and more generous in their aid efforts. The results also shed light on the complex role of former Soviet republics.

JEL Classification: F35; H56; F51

Corresponding author: Constantin Schmidt, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany, E-mail:

Acknowledgment

I thank Lukas Wellner and Prof. Dr. Axel Dreher for their contributions as supervisors of the bachelor thesis this paper developed from. Their continued support and guidance throughout the process made this paper possible.

Appendix
Table A1:

Sample countries (gate-keeping stage).

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Congo (Democratic Republic of the), Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Zambia
Table A2:

Kiel institute donor countries (level-setting stage).

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
  1. Donor classification in Antezza et al. 2022.

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Received: 2023-09-20
Accepted: 2023-11-15
Published Online: 2023-12-11

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