German Vice Chancellor insists on further support of Ukraine without any "buts"

The politician spoke in an interview with the Funke media group, including WAZ, Ukrinform reports.

"The G7 has launched the right thing: ​​in the future, Ukraine will receive money with which it will be able to buy urgently needed weapon systems. This is the right thing, and it will happen at the end of the year, as I hear," said the minister.

At the same time, he warns that if the plan does not work, "it will have to be discussed again." Then, according to Habeck, support "will have to be provided differently." Commitments to Ukraine must be fulfilled "without any ifs or buts," he emphasized.

According to the head of the Ministry of Economy, the transition to the G7 model of providing Ukraine with a $50 billion loan set to be repaid with the profits from the frozen assets of Russia’s Central Bank, may become an issue "if new orders cannot be placed anymore as the previous budget estimates have been exhausted". He suggests finding a pragmatic solution to this end.

"This requires ensuring that weapon systems are ordered now and paid for later from G7 funds," the politician explained.

It should be recalled that at the G7 summit in June, a resolution was adopted, laying down the use of profits obtained from frozen Russian assets for loans to Ukraine. At the same time, Kyiv itself will be able to decide how to utilize the money.

Recently, there has been a heated discussion in Germany and across international media about the situation of Germany’s 2025 budget in the context of funding security assistance to Ukraine. It follows from the statements of government officials that, starting next year, the plan is to use for the Ukraine aid mainly the profits from the frozen Russian assets within the framework of the US$50 billion facility proposed by G7 leaders in June. Currently, consultations are in progress regarding the implementation of the facility. The money is set to be transferred to Ukraine at the end of this year.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called reports about the German government's supposed termination of military aid to Ukraine "incorrect and manipulative." The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhii Tykyi, assured that the Ukrainian side continues to work with German partners to maintain and strengthen support for Ukraine.

On Monday, Germany handed over another package of military aid to Ukraine, including an IRIS-T SLS air defense launcher; 14,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition; 10 sea surface drones; 26 Vector UAVs, six HMEE highly mobile backhoe loaders; and a Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicle.