Germany is planning to nearly halve military aid for Ukraine next year, from around €8bn (£6.7bn; $8.7bn) to approximately €4bn, according to a draft budget approved by the government. Finance Minister Christian Lindner stated that Ukraine’s financing is “secure for the foreseeable future” due to a G7 scheme to raise $50bn from interest on frozen Russian assets.
Germany is Ukraine’s second-largest military donor after the US, with Berlin’s budget for Kyiv in 2024 set at nearly €7.5bn. The proposed aid reduction arises amid concerns in Ukraine and among its European allies that US funds could be cut or stopped if Donald Trump wins the presidency in the upcoming election.
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The draft budget was approved by the German government on Wednesday.
While military aid to Ukraine is planned to be reduced, the defence budget for 2025 will increase by €1.3bn to €53.25bn, which is still less than the €6bn Defence Minister Boris Pistorius had sought. Overall, Germany aims to meet the NATO alliance’s target of 2% GDP spending on defence. The defence budget still requires approval from lawmakers.
In other developments related to Ukraine:
– Russia and Ukraine conducted a recent swap of prisoners of war, with each side receiving back 95 military personnel. The United Arab Emirates facilitated the exchange.
– A source in Ukraine’s military confirmed to the media that Ukrainian troops had withdrawn from the village of Krynky, a key foothold on the Russian-occupied eastern bank of the Dnipro river in the southern Kherson region. However, operations in the area continued.
– Britain’s new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will host around 45 European leaders at a summit on Thursday, aiming to reset London’s relationship with the continent. The European Political Community (EPC) meeting will also allow leaders to reaffirm their support for Ukraine.
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