There is a “stark difference of opinion between countries like Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and the Czech Republic as compared to western European countries such as France or Germany”, writes Viktoriia Lapa from the Institute for European Policymaking at the Bocconi University in Italy, arguing that “westsplaining” still prevails in the European Union.
“By 2022, Russia had launched a full-scale attack against Ukraine. Words of support came from every direction but concrete support was less forthcoming. During the first days of the war, Germany refused to send weapons to Ukraine and even prevented Estonia from sending its old howitzer artillery weapons by withholding approval,” Lapa writes.
“Lithuania, meanwhile, along with Latvia, Estonia and Poland, were sounding the alarm about the threat the situation posed to the rest of the region and called for Europe to support Ukraine “with every means available”. For many in the region, Europe should commit unambiguously to helping Ukraine win the war.”
“Until recently, even French president Emmanuel Macron was suggesting that Ukraine should compromise on some of its sovereignty to accommodate Putin’s demands. Such comments were coldly received in Baltic and eastern European states.”
“When Macron changed his strategy to say that he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, he faced backlash from several European capitals. However, he found an ally in Lithuania.”
“In a positive sign of recognition, EU Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen mentioned in her annual state of the union address in 2022: ‘We should have listened to the voices inside our union – in Poland, in the Baltics, and all across central and eastern Europe.’”
Eastern Europe was a lot more proactive in getting equipment to Ukraine while it was reported that Western European countries needed some initial push by the USA.
There has been this slow dawning in Western Europe that they may need to take a more active role in their collective self defense instead of relying on American guarantees only. Eastern European countries have seemed far more proactive in dealing with the Ukrainian invasion while it looks like, outside of France and the UK, countries are having to remember what it takes to run a military.
The fact that these countries all had stocks of the exact equipment Ukraine was already using. The EU setup a “buy back” of equipment. Where these countries could donate their equipment to Ukraine and they where reimbursed from an EU fund. This made sure Ukraine could use their existing supply lines and support systems to keep the gear running.