SPD politician Roth perceives a 'perilous indication' from the Federal Administration.
The federal government intends to gradually reduce financial aid for Ukraine and switch to other sources for future military support, although it's unclear if these alternatives will be sufficient. The CDU is heavily criticizing this move, arguing that Ukraine is essentially being abandoned. Even within the SPD, there's discontent.
Michael Roth, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag and a Social Democrat, voiced concerns in an interview with the Funke media group, saying, "It sends a bad message to Ukraine if no future funds for new military aid are planned in the federal budget."
Currently, around 7.5 billion euros are allocated for military aid to Ukraine, with 4 billion euros planned for 2025. The federal government's strategy is to no longer fund Ukraine's aid from the federal budget but from a new international fund worth 50 billion euros, also to be filled with interest from seized Russian assets.
However, these plans remain uncertain. Finance Minister Christian Lindner, of the FDP, wrote in a letter to the SPD Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and the Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock that "new measures" could only be taken if financing is secured in the budget plans for the next few years. He also stressed the importance of adhering to budget limits.
The letter was initially obtained by the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung". After the newspaper reported on it, the Finance Ministry announced that it was open to discussions, but clear demands must be made and verifiable. As of now, no such demands have been received.
Roth describes the plan as a "hidden retreat"
Thorsten Frei, parliamentary business manager of the Union faction, supports the idea of providing more aid to Ukraine, but with interest from frozen Russian state assets. However, he pointed out, "No one knows how much money will actually be available." Even within the federal government, they're unsure when international negotiations on this matter might conclude.
CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter criticized that there's a lack of priority given to supporting Ukraine during budget negotiations. "Not financing military aid from the budget effectively means abandoning Ukraine," he said.
For Roth, "We can't make our security dependent on budgetary constraints." As Ukraine's most significant military ally in Europe, Germany should offer full support as the Ukrainian army is back on the offensive. Instead, the debate about the future financing of military aid appears to be a disguised withdrawal from Germany's responsibility, Roth added.
Wagenknecht Demands a Complete Cut of Funds for Ukraine
Meanwhile, Sahra Wagenknecht, chair of the BSW, is leveraging the recent Nord Stream attacks to call for a complete cut of funds for weapons deliveries to Ukraine in the 2025 federal budget. "Instead of continually asking the German taxpayer - also via the EU - to finance the Ukrainian state budget and weapons deliveries, it's time to discuss damages," said Wagenknecht.
The proposed shift in funding for Ukraine's military aid from the federal budget to a new international fund by the federal government is a concern for Michael Roth, as he believes it sends a negative message to Ukraine. BSW chair Sahra Wagenknecht has called for a complete cut of funds for weapons deliveries to Ukraine in the 2025 federal budget.
