A German government spokesman has denied that Berlin is turning its back on Kyiv, despite budget plans that call for reducing aid to Ukraine by fifty percent next year.
The denial comes after German media reported on a letter written by Finance Minister Christian Lindner to the defense and foreign ministries, that called new aid into question.
In the letter, he said "new measures" with obligatory payments could be introduced only if "financing was secured" in budget plans for this and the coming years.
For this year, Germany has earmarked some €7.5 billion ($89.2 billion) for military aid to Ukraine, and €4 billion for 2025.
The sums can be increased by parliamentary vote, as has already occurred for 2024.
Lindner and his fiscally conservative Free Democrats have been trying to reduce government spending in line with Germany’s constitutional debt brake, which limits the amount of new debts the governnment can take on.
The other parties in the ruling coalition, the Greens and Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party, have both said they want to reform the debt brake in order to allow much needed long-term investment.
00:00 Is Germany going to halt new military aid to Kyiv?
00:34 German Green lawmaker Boris Mijatović discusses aid issue
07:41 DW’s Chief Political Correspondent Nina Haase explains more
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