Despite Western assurances of more Ukrainian defense equipment, Kyiv’s urgent need for Russian-style weapons is difficult to meet with existing global supplies.

To find such weapons, the US and its allies are scouring the world for willing suppliers, with significant stockpiles of Soviet and Russian weapons. Finland, which traditionally courted Moscow by buying Soviet weapons, now sends Ukraine AK-47s and ammunition. South Korea offers body armor, helmets and medical equipment.

Other countries, such as Cambodia, Congo, Rwanda, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, recently received a visit from US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who lobbied behind the scenes for these states to provide substantial defense assistance beyond the rhetoric of their support.

Cyprus is a special case. Currently, the country has ten Buk and Tor systems in its warehouses, capable of shooting down aircraft, drones and cruise missiles. However, the Cypriot government has clarified that it will only offer these weapons if they are replaced by more modern ones capable of countering the Turkish threat. Washington, for its part, is unwilling to fuel a new arms race, despite the Biden administration lifting the US arms embargo on Cyprus on October 1st.

US officials insist that lifting the embargo has been planned for years and aimed at limiting Russian influence in the Nicosia government. A US official who spoke off the record with the New York Times said Cyprus was now a “possible alternative” for arms supplies to Ukraine. For his part, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan promised to strengthen Turkey’s military presence in occupied Northern Cyprus, citing the lifting of the US embargo.

Key Suppliers

So far, the most important suppliers of defense systems to Ukraine are, in order, the US, the UK, the European Union and Poland, according to data compiled by the German Kiel Institute. Poland is expected to submit a request, similar to that of Cyprus, to upgrade the weapons being promoted in Ukraine, with the Warsaw government voicing fears that its arsenal has been reduced to the point where the country’s national security is at risk.