Russia Ukraine news live: Germany to slash military aid for Kyiv in deepening crisis for Zelensky

3 comments

1. [Germany](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/germany) plans to halve its military aid to [Ukraine](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/ukraine) to €4bn next year, despite concerns of dwindling support from the [US](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/us). According to a draft of the 2025 budget, the military aid for Ukraine will be cut down to €4bn (£3.36bn) in 2025 from around €8bn (£6.72bn) in 2024.

   The country’s finance minister assured that the bulk of the money and military aid [Kyiv](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/kyiv) needs has been secured “for the foreseeable future thanks to European instruments and the G7 loans.”

   Germany has faced criticism for repeatedly missing a Nato target of spending 2 per cent of its economic output on defence.

   The blow to Kyiv comes as Donald Trump named as his vice presidential pick Senator JD Vance, who opposes military aid for Ukraine and warned Europe will have to rely less on the US to defend the continent.

   Ukraine’s defence minister has said the war-hit nation will find a way to battle [Russia](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/russia)’s invading forces even if Mr Trump wins a second term and imperils vital US support. “At this stage, we will focus on the battlefield,” Rustem Umerov said. “Whatever the outcome” of the US elections, “we will find solutions.”

2. Ahh Germany, they always find a way to fuck over rest or Europe.

3. German guy here:
   Yes and no. It’s a sleight of hand shuffling the money from pocket to pocket to please the voters of our incompetent finance minister (FDP).

   Why is he incompetent?
   Trickle-down-economics are refuted for… at least 30 years now. He is still pushing that narrative to keep the taxes for the rich (his voters) and public debt low. The government is at the moment not allowed to make debt – written into constitution by CDU (Merkel, now Merz) and FDP. Even if it quite obviously hurts our economy (by most: CDU / FDP voters).

   The sleight of hand:
   Germany cuts down the military support on paper out of defence ministry next year – which was 8 bn this year to 4 bn. The plan is to fill it up with interest rates of Russian assets and other sources to 7.5 bn.

   BUT there are also G7 and European Union funds, the German government expects to be the main source of money in the future to organise the support.
   https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland-ukrainehilfen-im-haushalt-deutlich-gekuerzt-a-e04c5117-9b10-409d-b26e-06d3568f7ee9

   Usually this happened every year so far:
   The finance minister plans to cut down public spending. Reality happens. Suddenly they find money to fill in the gaps. But that’s not a good headline