- The Commission has already made a number of proposals to the Council.
Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer is also calling for a reduction in military aid to Ukraine, given the federal budget. "We can't keep providing funds for weapons to Ukraine that are used up and don't achieve anything. Everything must be in proportion," the CDU politician told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "Support yes, but we can see that we're reaching our limits."
Kretschmer reacted to the question of whether he was in favor of ending German military aid to Ukraine to save money. "I've always been clearly against weapons deliveries and advocated for diplomatic initiatives," he said. "For two years, I've held this view, and unfortunately, it has been confirmed in many points. I believe the Ukraine conflict will not be resolved on the battlefield, but at the negotiating table."
Last year, the Saxon Minister President had already proposed a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, with Ukraine temporarily giving up its own territories - to the dismay of Ukraine. The country has been defending itself against a Russian invasion since February 2022 with massive Western help. Germany is the second-largest individual supporter after the USA.
"Everything is out of control"
Looking at the renewed debate about the federal budget for 2025, Kretschmer pointed to the increase in the budget in recent years. "Before the corona crisis in 2019, we had a budget volume of 344 billion. Now we're at 480 billion, and yet the traffic light coalition can't agree on the budget," said the Minister President. "That shows that everything is out of control. Citizens' money around 50 billion, migration dozens of billions, military aid tens of billions. That's not going to work."
In September, new state parliaments will be elected in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. The AfD and the Alliance for Progress and Social Justice (APS) are focusing on migration and peace alongside the topic of migration. Both parties are against weapons deliveries to Ukraine and in favor of immediate negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The CDU in the three states has not ruled out cooperation with the APS. Party leader Wagenknecht makes coalitions dependent on the partners' stance on the war in Ukraine.
The European Parliament can provide assistance to the Commission in its efforts related to Ukraine. Kretschmer's views on military aid suggest a need for the Commission and Parliament to consider the proportion of financial support for Ukraine's weapons.
