Germany may allocate additional 3 billion euros for Ukraine as early as Friday
Photo: The likely future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Getty Images)
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and the likely future Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, stated that an additional 3 billion euros in aid for Ukraine could be approved as early as Friday, March 21, DPA reports.
Merz made this statement on Tuesday, March 18, during a meeting of the CDU parliamentary group and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, in Berlin.
According to Merz, the additional funding for Ukraine depends on a vote in the Bundestag, where lawmakers are reviewing a large-scale spending plan for Germany, including easing the country’s strict budgetary constraints.
The parties promoting this aid package for Ukraine have stated that they have enough support to pass it.
After the Bundestag, the bill must still be voted on in the Bundesrat (the upper house of parliament), which is scheduled for Friday, March 21.
"If the plan goes through, the Ukraine aid is likely to be the first direct consequence," the outlet says.
Germany's aid to Ukraine
Earlier, we reported that Germany is preparing new large military aid packages for Ukraine, which may be provided in the first half of 2025. These packages will include, among other things, air defense systems, tanks, and howitzers.
At the same time, Der Spiegel reported that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is reportedly opposed to allocating an additional 3 billion euros in aid to Ukraine.
However, Friedrich Merz, the winner of the German parliamentary elections who is set to replace Scholz, stated that his country will indeed allocate an additional 3 billion euros in aid to Ukraine.
On March 17, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock confirmed Merz's words, noting that Germany will allocate a total of seven billion euros in aid to Ukraine in 2025.
Additionally, yesterday, the German government updated its list of military aid to Ukraine, which now includes three Gepard systems, missiles for the IRIS-T, and ammunition.
