Germany plans to halve military aid to Ukraine
Germany will slash its military aid to Ukraine from around €8 billion (£6.7 billion) to around €4 billion by next year, a draft budget approved by the government showed. The projected aid cut comes amid concerns in Ukraine and among its European allies that United States funds may be reduced or even canceled if Donald Trump wins the presidency in November. Germany is Ukraine's second-largest military donor, after the US.
Germany's aid reduction detailed in 2025 budget draft
Despite the reduction, Germany remains hopeful that Ukraine will meet most of its military needs with the $50 billion in loans from frozen Russian assets agreed by the Group of Seven (G7). Germany committed about £8.6 billion in weapons to Kyiv, according to figures from the German-based Kiel Institute for the World Economy. However, a court ruling that deemed using undeployed coronavirus recovery funds for green initiatives and industry support unconstitutional has created a financial shortfall of over £50 billion.
German Finance Minister assures Ukraine's financing
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has assured that "Ukraine's financing is secured for the foreseeable future thanks to European instruments and the G7 loans." The Joe Biden administration has also urged to "front load" these loans, providing Ukraine with a substantial lump sum now. This strategy aims to mitigate the risk of potential funding cuts from Trump should he return to office.
Germany's military aid depletes its own weapons stockpile
Germany's military aid to Ukraine has significantly depleted its own army's weapons stockpile, which was already run down due to decades of underinvestment. Berlin has donated three Patriot air defense units to Kyiv, more than any other country, reducing the number of Patriot systems in Germany to nine. Although military funding to Ukraine will be reduced, Germany will meet the NATO aim of spending 2% of GDP on defense in 2025, totaling 75.3 billion euros.
