In the revised budget proposal for 2025, the German government will not increase the funds allocated for military aid to Ukraine. This information was reported by Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Saturday.
According to the media, new requests from the German Ministry of Defense will no longer be approved due to stringent measures imposed by the Chancellor's Office and the Ministry of Finance. Materials that have already been approved for delivery will still be sent, but additional requests from the Ministry of Defense will not be considered, as per Chancellor Olaf Scholz's directives. Finance Minister Christian Lindner informed Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of this decision in a letter dated August 5, the publication reports.
The letter states that "new measures" can only be undertaken if "funding is ensured" in the budget plans for this year and the next.
Approximately 8 billion euros have already been allocated for Ukraine for the current year, with a maximum limit of 4 billion euros planned for the next year.
Andreas Schwarz, a member of the Bundestag Budget Committee from the ruling Social Democratic Party responsible for defense policy, confirmed that "no new orders for Ukraine are being placed" as they are no longer funded.
It is noted that the budget limit for the next year is already "exceeded," meaning all funds are allocated.
Sources within the Federal Ministry of Finance indicated that "all decisions regarding support for Ukraine are generally made in close coordination with the Chancellor's Office." The federal government is also working "within the G7 and EU frameworks, including on establishing a short-term financing instrument for Ukraine worth 50 billion dollars using frozen Russian assets."