Germany is running out of aid money for Ukraine

Đức sắp cạn tiền viện trợ cho Ukraine - 1 — Leopard 2 tanks prepared for delivery to Ukraine are assembled in Augustdorf, Germany (Photo: AFP).

Despite the announcement of a new military aid package worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion) announced by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during a recent visit to Ukraine, questions remain about Germany's ability to fulfill existing commitments, let alone provide additional weapons to Kiev, according to Tagesspiegel.

Der Tagesspiegel said Germany may soon reach the limit of its financial capacity to provide defense aid to Ukraine. The newspaper also said Berlin would not be able to deliver more tanks to Kiev as promised.

According to Der Tagesspiegel , last week the German parliament 's budget committee postponed its decision on the draft budget for 2024.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government is in trouble after a court ordered a ban on the reuse of 60 billion euros ($65 billion) of unused budget funds left over from the Covid-19 pandemic. Among those funds is Berlin’s plan to double military aid to Ukraine to 8 billion euros next year.

Der Tagesspiegel quoted financial policymaker Ingo Gaedechens, a member of the opposition Christian Democratic Union party, as warning that "nothing is certain at the moment".

“If aid to Ukraine is also cut as part of the overall cutbacks, it will have catastrophic consequences,” Mr. Gaedechens said.

The German lawmaker explained that if the German parliament does not approve an increase in the budget allocation for military aid to Ukraine now, "next year Germany will not be able to send additional aid to Ukraine, nor will it be able to replace the weapons systems that have already been delivered."

Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern that the lack of military progress on the ground could lead many countries to reduce aid to Ukraine and Kiev would find it difficult to further strengthen its forces.

Western media also recently reported that fatigue is growing across Europe as the Ukraine-Russia conflict has lasted for more than a year and a half and shows no signs of ending.

Western allies are scrambling to provide Ukraine with military equipment to counter Russia’s military campaign. They are mainly supplying anti-aircraft missiles and portable anti-tank missiles, which they believe will help Ukraine stave off Russian advances. The West is also shipping armored vehicles to Ukraine, but continues to refuse to supply fighter jets, fearing the risk of direct conflict with Russia.

Germany, the second-largest military aid provider to Kiev after the United States, has played a key role in supporting Ukraine against Russian troops.

The German defense minister's recent unannounced visit to Ukraine comes after global attention shifted to the war in Gaza, raising concerns that countries will reduce support for Ukraine.

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