Germany has budgeted less money for military aid to Ukraine in 2025 and funds are already scarce. The Defense Minister demands: Everyone has a duty.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has called on NATO partners to increase military support for Ukraine. According to the budget plans, there is “no gap in that sense” in German funding, but it is a smaller amount than this year, said the SPD politician on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington. The common task is to “help Ukraine with what it needs, but also with what we can afford.”
Pistorius said: “But at the same time, please understand this as an appeal to all other partners in Europe to do more to lead Ukraine through this year and the next.”
The “Spiegel” had reported that around seven billion euros were earmarked in the current federal budget for supporting Kyiv, which had largely been used up or was contractually tied up. For the second half of 2024, only just under 200,000 euros were left for new deliveries. Pistorius informally informed Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) that the pot for arms aid to Ukraine would have to be increased by a further four billion euros for the second half of 2024. The deliveries will not be financed from the defense budget, but largely from the so-called Individual Plan 60.
Pistorius: NATO must become more deterrent
On the sidelines of the meeting, Pistorius stressed that the alliance must significantly strengthen its own deterrence measures. Modern command and leadership structures are needed. A more efficient arms industry and sustainable support for Ukraine are necessary.
“Overall, we Europeans are assuming and must increasingly assume more responsibility in the sense of a fair transatlantic burden-sharing, which the Americans and our American friends rightly attach importance to,” he said.
The headquarters for the planned NATO mission to coordinate arms deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces (NSATU) will be located in Wiesbaden. Pistorius said that Germany would provide a two-star general as deputy commander and up to 40 staff – soldiers and civilians.
Source: Stern
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