German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius defended Chancellor Olaf Scholz against the accusation of blocking a further aid package for Ukraine worth three billion euros.
“It’s a budgetary issue” Pistorius said in the ARD’s “Tagesthemen” program, explaining that it is unclear where the funds for the support package would come from, as there is no budget for this year. “That’s not a pretext: it’s indeed the case that, in this phase, one cannot say that one is taking three billion from a budget that is under provisional management.”
Pistorius hopes that a way will be found in the coming days to free up funds for the package. “I know that Ukraine needs it, and yet it must be justifiable. And that’s the challenge.”
Regarding the change of the US government, Pistorius stated that there are indeed concerns in Ukraine about whether the country will continue to receive support from the US. “One is indeed not making any worries about the support of European partners, and in particular, not about what Germany is concerned with.” This has become very clear, the minister said.
Pistorius is convinced that, if support from the US were to cease in the future, Europe could fill the gap. “Certainly not from one day to the next, but it is possible, both financially and in terms of production capacities. But it would be a major effort.” Pistorius assumes that “gaps” would arise over a longer period. Therefore, it is necessary for the Americans to stay on board, the minister said.