A European Green Party politician, Anton Hofreiter, has criticized the outcomes of the European Ukraine summit in London as insufficient.
“It is good that the United Kingdom and France are working on a plan for a ceasefire in Ukraine. But that will not be enough” said the chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag to the Funke Media Group’s newspapers (Monday editions). “There is an urgent need for a large aid package for Ukraine and the frozen Russian funds of over 200 billion euros should be seized for financing. And there is a need for credible European security guarantees for Ukraine.”
Hofreiter warned, “Putin’s imperial ambitions go beyond Ukraine. He wants to divide the world with Trump into spheres of influence. The danger is great that he will attack Moldova or the Baltic states next. We should take ourselves seriously in Europe and prepare for that. We still have the opportunity to prevent another war in Europe. It requires now the political will to do so.”
Hofreiter called for massive investments in modern defense from the next German government. “If you calculate it, you will likely end up at around 3.5 percent of the German economic output in the short term” he said, looking at a corresponding demand from Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Green Party).
Hofreiter warned against a reform of the debt brake in the old Bundestag. “There is an urgent need for a reform of the debt brake – but not with the old majorities. The argument that a blockade by the AfD and the Left is threatened in the new Bundestag is not constitutionally sufficient” he said. “Therefore, we must use the opportunity to quickly declare a budget emergency. The Bundestag has already released more than 200 billion euros in a short time during the Corona crisis. The situation is now much more dangerous.