Germany plans to double its military aid to Ukraine next year

BERLIN

Germany is planning to double its military aid for Ukraine next year to €8 billion ($8.6 billion), according to media reports on Monday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats and their coalition partners the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats have reached an agreement on the military aid budget, public broadcaster ARD reported.

Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit declined to give any details about the agreement during a regular press conference, but noted that the parliament’s budget committee will meet later this week to discuss military aid.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told ARD earlier that the government wants to reassure Ukraine of continued military support amid concerns in Kyiv that Western military support would now be diverted to Israel.

“Ukraine has to continue its fight, and at the same time part of the world's public attention is directed more towards Israel,” Pistorius said.

“Our support is a strong signal to Ukraine that we will not abandon them,” he added.

Berlin increased its military support to Ukraine following pressure from the US and other allies, and it is currently the second-largest supplier of weapons to the country.

Since the war began in February 2022, Germany provided Ukraine with military aid worth over €17 billion ($18.2 billion), according to the Ukraine Support Tracker of the Kiel Institute.

The military assistance includes advanced weapons and equipment such as Leopard 2 battle tanks, Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, Marder combat vehicles, and Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems.