The Ukraine is demanding a significant increase in German military aid, despite the disagreement within the German government. Ambassador Oleksij Makejew told the Spiegel that he has been in talks with the German government since October last year to increase the planned military aid by three billion euros.
“Now, it’s a clear, cross-party, and pre-election imperative – for Ukraine and our common European security” the diplomat emphasized. According to the Spiegel, the need for further military aid is greater than ever. “The Russian attack is still raging against my country, the need for weapons and air defense is acute, it’s about life and death” Makejew said.
The Spiegel reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky had Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, accompanied by him on the side of the Ukraine supporter meeting in Ramstein, and asked him to request additional military aid.
The German government had planned to provide four billion euros in weapons for the Ukraine in 2025, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) reportedly vetoed a plan to increase the aid by three billion euros for the current year. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had prepared a corresponding arms package and wanted to ask the German parliament’s budget committee for an over-budget expenditure.
The Greens called on Scholz to reconsider his stance. “The Chancellery should clear the way for the three billion euros, anything else is irresponsible, cynical, and unbelievable” said the deputy faction leader Agnieszka Brugger.
Brugger sharply criticized the Chancellor, saying, “The face of Olaf Scholz, affected by the wounded in Ukraine, does not save lives, air defense does.