The German Defense Ministry is said to be concerned about the fact that the country’s 2024 budget is missing more than 5 billion euros for military aid to Ukraine.
This information was reported by the tabloid “Bild”, citing a confidential memo from the Ministry of Defense. The newspaper explains that military aid to Ukraine is covered by “general financial management” funds, under which 4 billion euros have been allocated to help Ukraine by 2024.
Of this, approximately EUR 3.1 billion was allocated to previously promised aid, and EUR 770 million remains at the disposal of the Foreign Ministry for German diplomatic activities. This means that only 120 million euros remains for military support.
Ukraine’s great needs
The German Defense Ministry estimates that Ukraine’s needs are much greater. Meanwhile, Kiev expects additional support from Germany worth 5.2 billion euros, which will allow Ukraine to resist Russian aggression.
Berlin estimates that 880 million euros should be allocated to air defense, 675 million euros to armored fighting vehicles, 390 million euros to engineering projects, 935 million euros to protective equipment and 2.3 billion euros to repairs, spare parts and logistics. Furthermore, Germany’s 2024 budget does not include the 525 million euros needed to replace the Bundeswehr equipment transferred to Ukraine.
The budget for next year will be ready in mid-November. Until then, negotiations will continue.
‘We must keep our word’
– We must keep our word. The money to help Ukraine next year must not run out. Treasury Secretary Lindner must provide Ukraine with multibillion-dollar aid before the budget is finalized. Ukraine should be able to rely on Germany’s promises, said Andreas Schwarz, a member of the ruling Social Democratic Party responsible for the defense budget in the budget committee.
On Friday, the German government announced that it had sent another military aid package to Ukraine last week, including Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, drones and heavy trucks.
During his visit to Kiev in August, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner announced his intention to provide Ukraine with 5 billion euros in annual military aid until 2027.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
