Weapons for Ukraine: Germany wants to cut EU funding
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (photo: Getty Images)
Germany wants to reduce its contributions to the European Peace Fund, which is used to buy weapons for Ukraine. Berlin believes that direct arms supplies should be counted as contributions, reports The Daily Telegraph.
The publication notes that it has obtained an "unofficial document". In it, Germany said that the 20-billion-dollar European Peace Fund should take into account the military aid that Berlin provided to Ukraine on a bilateral basis.
Germany wants its military aid to be counted in the EU as contributions to the peace fund. Berlin has the largest economy in the EU and contributes a quarter of the money to the EU fund.
According to The Telegraph, the document has raised fears in the EU that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz may block European attempts to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.
In another document obtained by the publication, France advocates for the cessation of arms supplies through the European Peace Fund. Instead, Paris proposes to focus on joint procurement.
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was the only one who publicly criticized the increase in funding for the European Peace Fund to 20 billion euros.
Last month, Germany announced that it would double its military aid to Ukraine in 2024 to €8 billion.
What is known about the Peace Fund
The European Peace Fund was established in March 2021. It is through it that EU countries provide military assistance to partners, including Ukraine. The Fund reimburses governments for military supplies.
Earlier, the European Commission proposed to increase the EU's common budget by €66 billion to cover the costs, part of which will go to the financial support program for Ukraine. It is about 50 billion euros for the next four years.
In October, the European Parliament approved the creation of a €50 billion Ukraine Fund.
