HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FROM THE BALTIC STATES TO UKRAINE AT THE BEGINNING OF RUSSIA’S FULL-SCALE WAR AGAINST UKRAINE (February – May 2022)

Abstract

The publication is devoted to a review of humanitarian aid to Ukraine provided by the Baltic States in the first three months of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war (February 24 – May 2022). Coverage of this topic is explained by the fact that it is important to record and analyze the support of Ukraine by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They, as well as Poland, were the first in the European Union start to provide assistance to Ukraine. Humanitarian assistance to Ukraine by the Baltic countries is considered in the article in the context and against the background of active political support, protection of Ukraine’s interests in the international arena, lobbying for the provision of military-technical assistance by the EU and NATO countries. They consider Ukraine not just a victim of Russian aggression. They see Ukraine as a country that is fighting not only for its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the war with Russia, but also for defending Europe and the entire Western world. This caused unprecedented support for Ukraine by the Baltic states. The study found that humanitarian aid to Ukraine is provided by the Baltic States at several levels: state (through state authorities at the expense of the state budget), regional and local (individual regions and cities independently provide assistance to Ukraine, its communities, cities or regions), at the level of charitable and public organizations and initiatives through the collection of donations from citizens. The assistance provided at each of these levels is illustrated by specific examples. It has been determined that during the first three months of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, hundreds of tons of humanitarian goods have already been delivered to Ukraine from the Baltic states through cooperation with Ukrainian authorities and public and charitable organizations. This assistance came to most regions of Ukraine – to areas affected by hostilities and temporary occupation, and to regions receiving internally displaced persons. At the same time, each of the Baltic states accepted tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, providing for their material, psychological and cultural needs.