As journalists have learned, German leader Olaf Scholz refuses to agree to a new large package of military aid for Ukraine, which is being offered by the German Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defense.
Points of attention
- Top representatives of the German government are pushing for increased funding for Ukraine.
- However, Scholz believes that the aid already provided will be sufficient.
- The Chancellor's position is linked to the fear of angering part of the electorate before the elections in Germany.
Who in Germany is fighting for additional aid for Ukraine?
According to media reports, the German government has been actively discussing additional military assistance to Ukraine for several weeks.
Thus, the head of German diplomacy, Annalena Berbock, and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius are insisting that official Berlin allocate an additional approximately 3 billion euros to transfer much-needed weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine before the early elections on February 23.
What is important to understand is that the contents of the package were filled in accordance with Kyiv's wishes. First of all, there was talk of three IRIS-T batteries and interceptor missiles for their operation, additional interceptors for Patriot, ten self-propelled howitzers, and artillery ammunition.
In this way, Pistorius and Burbock want to send an important signal to Ukraine — Germany will stay with it until victory.
Scholz does not want to make another important decision regarding Ukraine
As journalists managed to find out, work on preparing the package stopped in January because Olaf Scholz did not like the idea.
One of the main reasons why the Chancellor does not support the initiative is that he allegedly does not see a critical need for this package at this time.
The German leader believes that the aid already provided will be sufficient for the near future.
The preliminary budget for 2025 provides for 4 billion euros in military aid, and it is also expected that Ukraine will be able to use a $50 billion loan from the G7, which is financed using proceeds from frozen Russian assets.
What is important to understand is that without the consent of the German Chancellor, it is simply impossible to provide Ukraine with a new aid package.
The SPD openly admitted that Olaf Scholz's real motives are related to the elections — he is afraid that this decision will outrage part of the electorate.
