Scholz: Germany to increase military support for Ukraine to EUR 7 bln
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says that Berlin will increase funding for military aid to Ukraine to EUR 7 billion.
Arriving in Brussels on Thursday for a meeting of the European Council, Scholz, speaking to reporters, recalled that this week the German Bundestag adopted "a very comprehensive amendment to our constitution, which will allow us to finance what is necessary for the defense of our country, for cooperation in Europe on defense issues, as well as for the military assistance that we need to mobilize for Ukraine." "And tomorrow, I hope, probably, the Federal Council in Germany will also make this decision, so that we will now have the freedom of action to do everything we need as a major power in the heart of Europe. This will also include, by the way, that after the decisions are made, we will initiate a further increase in our military assistance to Ukraine. In total, it will be seven billion. Four are already planned, three more will be added. Therefore, this year, as last year, Germany is and will remain the biggest supporter of Ukraine in Europe," the German Chancellor said.
Scholz believes that "it is extremely important that Ukraine remains an independent, sovereign and democratic state, that it can continue on its path to membership in the European Union and that it has its own strong army even after a peace agreement." "These are things that we must ensure," he stressed.
Speaking about the talks initiated by US President Donald Trump, Scholz believes that "the first step towards the possibility of a ceasefire based on President Zelenskyy's proposals has now been taken, considering the results of the conversation between the Russian president and the US president." "But now this must become a reality, and it must end with a ceasefire that will actually last and meet these criteria. Therefore, it will be important for us to continue to provide significant support to Ukraine, as the European Union as a whole, as allies and friends, and as individual countries," the German Chancellor noted.
