The budget committee of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) on ​​Wednesday approved the provision of new military aid to Ukraine in the amount of about 8 billion euros in the coming years. This decision, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, makes it clear that Germany will support Ukraine in the long term “in the fight against Putin.”

The funds allocated for these purposes until 2032 thus reach about 12 billion euros, part of which will be directed to the German army (Bundeswehr), which has emptied a large part of its ammunition stocks in order to send them to Ukraine. Of this amount, 3.2 billion euros will be allocated this year, and the rest about 8.8 billion in the period 2024-2032, Agerpres notes.

“With this money, Ukraine will be able to buy weapons directly, with the support of the German government,” said the statement of three deputies of the parliamentary budget committee.

Thus, approximately 8 billion euros will be allocated for the purchase of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine, the difference of approximately 4 billion will go to the German army to replenish its stocks of weapons and ammunition, reduced after the donations offered to Ukraine to support it in the war with Russia. For example, for this amount, the German army will be able to purchase new Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers to replace the ones given to the Ukrainian army.

The approval of these new funds marks “a very important step that clearly demonstrates that we support Ukraine in the long term in the fight against Putin,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thus, Germany will be able to continue supplying Kiev with such equipment as armored vehicles, tanks or ammunition in the coming years, the same minister added.

With the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Germany began an ambitious rearmament policy. Days after Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged around €100 billion to cover numerous gaps in the German military (Bundeswehr), after years of neglect by Germany’s defense chief.

However, these funds have not yet been allocated, and the government in Berlin believes that only in 2025 it will be able to meet NATO’s goal of allocating a minimum of 2% of GDP to the defense budget, citing that it is being held back from achieving this goal by the capabilities of the arms industry.

On the contrary, Germany is one of the main donors of Western military aid to Ukraine. The German government on Monday confirmed the delivery of 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks to this country.

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