German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) proposed at the special summit in the French capital to bypass the Maastricht criteria for the defense spending of EU member states.
“From my point of view, Germany can accept if we allow member states to do so, if they want to spend more than two percent on their defense, it’s not blocked by the criteria we have in the European Union for state credit financing” Scholz said on Monday evening in Paris. He is convinced that a way can be found to ensure this.
Moreover, further support for Ukraine is only possible if it is “separately” financed. Any attempt to cut expenses elsewhere in the budget by doing so will fail, he emphasized.
Regarding German troops in Ukraine, the Chancellor initially dismissed the question. It is “completely premature and the completely wrong time to lead this discussion now” Scholz said. It is inconsiderate to speak now about variants of negotiation results, overlooking the Ukraine, as we are not yet at peace, the Chancellor added.