German MoD 'loses' nearly €1 billion meant for Ukraine military aid - Media
Photo: One of the radars Germany is providing to Ukraine for air defense (Getty Images)
The German Ministry of Defense "lost" nearly €1 billion. These funds were intended for military aid to Ukraine. The ministry insists that "everything is fine," but German lawmakers expressed surprise, Bild informs.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in June that aid to Ukraine next year would total €9.2 billion. However, when the official budget proposal for next year was submitted, the amount was lower — €8.3 billion.
Bild notes that on June 18, the Ministry of Defense publicly split the sum into two parts: €7.3 billion had already been approved, and an additional €1.9 billion was planned. However, officials now claim that everything is included in the already stated €8.3 billion.
As a result, €900 million has "disappeared." A source at the Ministry of Defense explained the discrepancy by stating that the missing money is referred to as co-financing. The shortfall will be covered by the European Peace Facility. In other words, the money exists, but it is not yet included in the budget.
The source said that in the end, the total would still be around €9 billion.
However, such maneuvers by the Ministry of Defense caused at least surprise in the Bundestag. For example, Green MP Sebastian Schäfer said it was unclear from the budget proposal where the ministry gets the claimed amounts and what will happen if the funds cannot be provided.
He added that the budget proposal did not clarify where the ministry was getting the stated sums and that Ukraine needed real support, not promises.
Military aid to Ukraine
Following the NATO summit in The Hague, military aid to Ukraine in 2025 is expected to exceed €50 billion. Millions of dollars have been allocated to support satellite communications for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In addition to other assistance, Norway will provide drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces worth €640 million. Meanwhile, the UK has begun using revenue from frozen Russian assets to provide aid to Kyiv. In this way, Russia is effectively paying for weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian military.
