Baerbock: Germany Must Provide Ukraine with More Weapons Than Planned

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Annalena Baerbock. Photo: ukrinform.ua

German Foreign Minister and co-leader of the Green Party, Annalena Baerbock, insists that Berlin should provide Ukraine with more military aid than currently allocated in the budget.

This was reported by Spiegel.

Baerbock’s comments came during a media interaction on the sidelines of a meeting in Saudi Arabia regarding Syria’s future.

In response to a Spiegel question about Chancellor Olaf Scholz allegedly blocking an additional aid package for Ukraine, Baerbock argued that failing to do so would leave Ukraine “less capable of defending itself, and therefore less able to protect us.”

She emphasized that aiding Ukraine is the best contribution to European security and directly to Germany’s safety.

It is worth recalling that Spiegel earlier reported on an internal disagreement within the German government over an additional weapons package for Ukraine worth about €3 billion. The package was formulated by Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius based on Ukraine’s urgent requests.

However, Chancellor Scholz opposed it, suggesting that the already planned aid is sufficient. He argued that Kyiv could additionally use funds from the G7 joint loan for arms purchases and that it would be unfair to “impose” such a significant decision on the new German government after early elections in February. Some other members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) share this view.

According to journalists, negotiations over the additional aid package were reportedly constructive until Christmas, after which the chancellor abruptly changed his stance. The dispute is linked to political calculations within parties ahead of the snap parliamentary elections.

At the end of December 2024, Germany provided Ukraine with a significant aid package, including IRIS-T and Patriot systems.

Additionally, Germany is preparing to deliver substantial military aid packages in the first half of 2025. These include Leopard tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles, funded through the already allocated budget.

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