Lethal Aid

What does Lethal Aid mean?

Weapons given as a gift to another country

When you hear the term ‘Lethal Aid’ in a news article, it typically means that one nation is supplying another with military weapons, ammunition, and other forms of military equipment. This term started making regular appearances in news headlines around early 2022, specifically with regard to the escalating tensions between nations like Russia, Ukraine, and NATO members, which led to the U.S. providing millions in lethal aid to Ukraine.

The term ‘lethal aid’ has been in use by the Pentagon and various news organizations since at least the mid-2010s to denote the provision of weapons and military equipment. An example of this can be seen in a 2015 article by PBS, which discusses President Obama’s hesitation to send lethal aid to Ukraine, aptly titled “Obama to reconsider providing lethal aid to Ukraine.”

In a nutshell, ‘lethal aid’ is nothing more than a way of saying that one country is giving another the tools it needs to fight a war. It’s a term that’s become more common as global tensions rise, and it’s one that’s likely to stick around as long as nations continue to support each other in times of conflict.

Example for using ‘Lethal Aid’ in a conversation

Hey, did you hear about the news article talking about lethal aid?

Yeah, I saw that! It means one country is giving military weapons to another.

Exactly! So when they say lethal aid, it’s like gifting weapons and equipment.

Makes sense. It’s been in the news a lot recently, especially with tensions between countries.