A senior German lawmaker has voiced concerns that pledged financial aid to Ukraine, while welcomed, falls short of the country’s substantial needs. Sara Nanni, the Green Party’s spokesperson on security policy in the Bundestag, recently returned from a visit to Ukraine and stated that current commitments, including the nine billion euros annually offered by German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, represent an insufficient response to the scale of the challenges faced.
Nanni emphasized that accessing frozen Russian state assets is crucial for a significant improvement in Ukraine’s situation and urged the German government to advocate strongly for this within Europe. She highlighted that Ukraine’s requirements extend beyond military supplies to encompass essential social welfare payments such as salaries for soldiers and pensions for widows and orphans, as well as reconstruction efforts.
She estimates Ukraine’s overall annual financial needs to be in the double-digit billions, arguing that Russia, as the aggressor, should bear the primary responsibility for these costs, rather than German and European taxpayers. Nanni indicated that her assessment stems from direct discussions held during her time in Ukraine, signifying a need for a more comprehensive and sustainable financial strategy.