Germany will be able to transfer most of the €4 billion promised to Ukraine, even if the budget for 2025 is not adopted in time due to the collapse of the coalition government. Reuters reports this with reference to sources in the German budget committee.
It is reported that these funds are earmarked, so they can be allocated to Ukraine through the mechanism of temporary budget management if the full budget cannot be approved.
As the publication reminds, in the draft German budget for 2025, assistance to Ukraine was reduced to 4 billion euros, compared to almost 8 billion in 2024. This is due to the expectation that Ukraine will be able to meet most of its military needs with $50 billion in loans from frozen Russian assets approved by the Group of Seven.
The article notes that Donald Trump’s return to power has raised concerns in Europe about a possible reduction in US support for Kyiv. A few hours after Trump’s victory was announced, the German coalition government collapsed: Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner.
The absence of an approved budget for next year will limit spending on new projects, although additional aid to Ukraine may still be approved. Economy Minister Robert Habeck noted that new funding programmes require a decision from the budget committee or the Bundestag, while current spending can continue as planned.
Former Finance Minister Christian Lindner said that he had a conflict with Chancellor Scholz over a proposal to provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles to defend against Russian aggression. Scholz rejected the idea and informed Lindner of his dismissal.
