Reports of Germany's alleged suspension of military assistance to Ukraine are manipulative - MFA
This was stated by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Georgiy Tykhyi, in a comment to Ukrinform.
"The reports that Germany is allegedly suspending military assistance to Ukraine are incorrect. This is the same manipulation as the previous reports about halving aid for the next year," he said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted that the budget process is indeed underway in Germany, ‘which we are closely watching’. According to him, the budget is expected to be approved in November, and only then will the level of support for Ukraine for the next year be known.
"This year, like last year, the German government has planned a certain amount of assistance to Ukraine in the draft budget. It is similar to the amount planned last year at this stage of the budget process. Last year, this amount increased at the parliamentary stage of budget adoption in autumn," Tykhyi reminded.
He assured that the Ukrainian side continues to work with German partners to maintain and strengthen support for Ukraine. "We emphasise that every euro invested in strengthening the defence capability of our country is a contribution to the security of the whole of Europe against the backdrop of Russian aggression," the Foreign Ministry spokesman stressed.
He added that the Ukrainian side is grateful to Germany, which remains the leader among European countries in terms of support for Ukraine, and noted that German assistance has already saved thousands of lives in Ukraine and is strategically important for protecting lives in the future.
"We hope that the German government will find an opportunity to provide additional funding for the needs of the Ukrainian Defence Forces this year," Tykhyi said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also expressed hope for a quick and non-bureaucratic implementation of the decision of the Group of Seven leaders to use the proceeds of frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine.
"In our opinion, these funds should not replace, but supplement the ongoing European and German assistance," he said.
In conclusion, Tykhyi noted that, as Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has consistently emphasised, military assistance to Ukraine is an investment in the security of every European, and its increase is an insurance guarantee of peace in Europe for decades to come.
According to media reports citing Bild, the German government is suspending the allocation of new funds to help Ukraine. According to the publication, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Finance Minister Christian Lindner have frozen all new funding applications.
It is noted that current contracts will be fulfilled, but new requests for assistance, in particular from the Ministry of Defence, will not be approved because the current budget planning does not include money that could be transferred to Kyiv.
