Scholz reiterates his readiness to offer all-encompassing military assistance to Ukraine.
Over the weekend, news surfaced indicating that the federal administration would not distribute extra funds above the already scheduled 4 billion euros for Ukraine aid in the coming year. As per "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung", demands from the Federal Ministry of Defense were no longer being accepted as funds had already been assigned.
Scholz spoke in Chisinau, the Moldovan capital, asserting that Germany would continue providing weapons like air defense systems, ammo, or tanks. The necessary funds for these were readily available. He also mentioned the planned $50 billion loan by G7 nations to empower Ukraine to procure military gear. This loan would be financed through interest payments on Russian assets confiscated due to sanctions pertaining to the Ukraine conflict.
Scholz acknowledged that this approach was "technically complex" and would take time, but he considered it "politically clear" and would be approached with "maximum effort in a short time frame."
Scholz disclosed that he had not been notified by the Ukrainian administration before the offensive in the Russian region of Kursk, where German weapons like armored combat vehicles were presumed to have been employed. He described the operation as "extremely secretly planned" and "without communication". It might be a "spatially and likely temporally limited operation". However, he could not confirm this information, and hence, any further remark seemed premature at this juncture.
The Ukrainian military initiated a surprise offensive in the Russian region of Kursk on August 6, reportedly capturing numerous villages. According to Russian sources, over 120,000 civilians were forced to vacate the region. This marks the largest cross-border offensive by Ukraine since the commencement of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
The European Union, as part of the G7 nations, is planning to provide a $50 billion loan to empower Ukraine to procure military gear, with the interest payments on confiscated Russian assets serving as financing. The Ukrainian military, despite not receiving additional EU funds for aid in the coming year, has initiated a surprise offensive in the Russian region of Kursk.
