And how the US influences which weapons they get, and which ones they don't. Subscribe and turn on notifications 🔔 so you don't miss any videos: http://goo.gl/0bsAjO When Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, the US was hesitant to send more than supplies to the Ukrainian army. But when Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, the US changed its tune. President Joe Biden quickly began approving huge packages of weapons to help Ukraine stymie the Russian attack. And for the first couple of weeks, it worked. The Ukrainian army used weapons from the US and its Western allies to stop Russia from capturing Kiev. As the war progressed, so did US help. It sent heavy artillery in the spring, and then agreed to eventually send tanks in winter 2023. But each time, it deliberated over whether Ukraine can effectively use the weapons, and whether they'll provoke Russia to escalate the conflict. So far, that hasn’t happened, and the US and its allies are now considering sending Ukraine very advanced long-range missiles and F-16 fighter jets. Both would be game-changers for Ukraine. Sources and further reading: Stimson Center- www.stimson.org/2022/u-s-security-assistance-to-ukraine-breaks-all-precedents/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1679600857055035&usg=AOvVaw0BoV2nDHscvxIPa3G1yqoK CSIS - https://www.csis.org/analysis/united-states-running-out-weapons-send-ukraine Politico - https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/28/pentagon-send-f-16s-ukraine-00080045 The Economist - https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/03/06/ukraine-is-building-up-its-forces-for-an-offensive Note: The headline on this piece has been updated. Previous headline: How US weapons transformed the war in Ukraine, How Ukraine got so many weapons Make sure you never miss behind the scenes content in the Vox Video newsletter, sign up here: http://vox.com/video-newsletter Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com/ Support Vox's reporting with a one-time or recurring contribution: http://vox.com/contribute-now Shop the Vox merch store: http://vox.com/store Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE Follow Vox on Facebook: http://facebook.com/vox Follow Vox on Twitter: http://twitter.com/voxdotcom Follow Vox on TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@voxdotcom