Pistorius seeks to secure additional funds for Germany's defense amid Russian threat
Photo: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is disappointed with the 2025 budget proposal. He is prepared to "fight" for an increase in defense spending.
According to the draft budget for Germany next year, defense spending has been increased by 1.2 billion euros instead of the 6.7 billion euros requested by Pistorius. He stated that this is insufficient investment in the military under current conditions.
"I continue to advocate for the Bundeswehr to receive the necessary funds given the very real threat from Russia. The next opportunity for this is the parliamentary procedure," he said.
The Defense Minister emphasized that he does not share the view of German Finance Minister Christian Lindner on returning to normal economic conditions after the coronavirus pandemic, particularly regarding military needs and Ukraine.
"We are dealing with a real threat, not a fictional threat, an illusion, or a dystopia… The threat is real… The danger does not diminish if you ignore it – it becomes greater," the minister believes.
Germany’s 2025 budget
Recently, the German government approved the draft budget for next year. It now needs to be reviewed by the Bundestag.
According to the draft, the budget will amount to 480.6 billion euros. The German government proposes to allocate 53 billion euros for defense, an increase of over 1.2 billion euros.
Additionally, the German government plans to allocate 4 billion euros in aid to Ukraine next year, which is half of the amount provided in 2024.
