Germany reduces military support for Ukraine by almost a billion euros
The country has adjusted the amount of aid to Ukraine, which has surprised Ukrainian and international experts. According to internal data from the German Ministry of Defense, the planned aid for Kyiv in 2024 has been reduced by about one billion euros compared to the initial promises and statements of official representatives. One of the main sources of information was the German newspaper Bild, which gained access to internal draft government documents. Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that this year the country would allocate 9.2 billion euros to Ukraine. However, the figures confirmed in the budget draft indicate a smaller amount — 8.3 billion euros, which means a reduction of about 900 million euros. According to sources in the ministry, it was officially planned to first approve two parts of the funding: 7.3 billion euros, which had already been agreed, and another 1.9 billion euros, which had to be additionally approved. However, today the actual amount has been reduced to 8.3 billion, leaving the question of additional financing open. A representative of the Ministry of Defense noted in a comment to Bild that the final amount will soon include the so-called co-financing and funds that will be returned from the European Peace Fund. This means that part of the envisaged money has not yet been taken into account, but they are expected to be added later. According to him, despite everything, the characteristics of the assistance will not change - the financing, he said, "will approximately amount to about 9 billion euros." Against this background, it is important to note that an investigation into the situation related to the fire at a military base in the city of Erfurt, where a number of military trucks were destroyed, is currently underway in Germany. Officials confirmed that the equipment damaged as a result of the incident was not intended for shipment to Ukraine, which refutes the propaganda statements of pro-Russian sources. At the same time, this event has sparked additional interest in the security and logistics of military supplies, as it may have an impact on formal and informal procedures for defense materials destined for Ukraine. So, despite all the promises and statements, the financial resources for Ukrainian defense in Germany remain under some adjustment and revision. This raises questions about the level of support that the country is really ready and able to provide in the context of a difficult political and security situation. It is expected that the remaining amounts and their distribution will be clarified in the coming months, and the issue of transparency of such finances will remain one of the hot topics in the dialogue between Kyiv and Berlin.