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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said 'NO' to a proposal for an additional €3 billion package of military aid for Ukraine.
The package, made public by Spiegel, was presented by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Greens and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of Scholz's Social Democratic Party.
The aid package was drawn up shortly after the fall of the coalition government in November, with Baerbock and Pistorius aiming to secure parliamentary approval for the funding ahead of February's federal snap election.
Their ministries justified the request, citing the deterioration of Ukrainian military forces, which is further exacerbated by doubts about future US support for Ukraine, especially after the election of Donald Trump.
Despite efforts to present the plan as vital support for Ukraine, Chancellor Scholz refused to back it, noting that existing military aid funding, €4 billion for 2025, combined with funding from the €49 billion G7 loan, stemming from frozen Russian assets, enough.
According to Spiegel, the chancellor reportedly expressed concerns about the incoming government's commitment to large financial commitments after the election.
Despite Scholz's no, Pistorius reaffirmed Germany's broader commitments during a meeting of the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine held at the US airbase in Ramstein on Thursday.
Pistorius announced that Germany will supply around 50 guided missiles for the IRIS-T air defense systems. The missiles, originally intended for the German armed forces, were diverted to Ukraine directly from production.
"We will supply Ukraine first before we replenish our stocks," Pistorius said, assuring that Ukraine could continue to rely on Germany regardless of the outcome of the upcoming election.
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