2024-07-19 05:01:32
Germany will cut military aid to Ukraine in half next year despite the possibility that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will return to the White House and reduce support for Kiev, Reuters reported.
In 2025, German aid to Ukraine will be cut from about 8 billion euros this year to 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion), according to the draft 2025 budget seen by Reuters.
Berlin hopes that Ukraine will be able to meet most of its military needs with the $50 billion (€45.7 billion) in loans financed by the proceeds of frozen Russian assets agreed by the G7 , and that the funds intended for armaments will not be fully used.
“Ukraine’s financing is secured for the foreseeable future thanks to European instruments and G-7 loans,” German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said at a press conference in Berlin.
Germany must adapt its spending policy to global trends and therefore adjust its spending on international humanitarian aid, he said, noting that Berlin must invest much more in its own security.
“Conversely, we cannot continue to be involved everywhere in the world as we have been, because even Germany’s potential as the world’s fourth largest economy will at some point be limited,” Lindner said.
This week there was a great deal of anxiety in Europe after Trump announced as his vice-presidential candidate Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, who opposes military aid to Ukraine and warned that Europe would have to rely less on the US to protect the continent.
Trump drew sharp criticism from Western officials for saying he would not defend countries that failed to meet NATO targets of spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, and that he would even encouraged Russia to attack them. Germany has been repeatedly criticized for neglecting the set goal of the defense alliance, writes BTA.