Ukraine (bbabo.net), - The heads of the Ministry of Defense and the Foreign Ministry of Germany, Christine Lambrecht and Annalena Burbock, are asking to allocate € 1.5 billion more for arms supplies to Ukraine next year than is budgeted, reports Der Spiegel.
The 2023 budget allocates just under €700 million for military supplies to Ukraine. In a letter sent to German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the heads of the German Foreign and Defense Ministry insist on increasing this amount by more than three times to € 2.2 billion.
“Only under such a condition will Germany be able to substantively and demonstratively take on the responsibility (in support of Ukraine) that international partners expect from it,” the letter says.
As Der Spiegel emphasizes, both ministers at the beginning of the address criticize that the budget for 2023 currently provides for only € 697 million in military support for Kyiv. According to them, such savings reduce the possibility of any action “to a minimum that cannot be politically justified.” ". At the same time, Burbock and Lambrecht insist that the German Finance Ministry also allow the foreign and defense departments to spend an additional € 1 billion on long-term projects in the field of weapons.
“Berlin's ability to act in foreign and security policy, as well as Germany's international reputation, depend on the allocation of a sufficient amount of funds,” the foreign and defense ministers emphasize in the letter.
“The current year has shown that in order to maintain the military potential of Ukraine at a high level, utmost flexibility is needed. To date, the German government has proven that this can be done quickly and efficiently. In order to avoid slowing down, we are urgently asking for help,” Lambrecht and Burbock sum up.
However, as Der Spiegel notes, the question of the willingness of Finance Minister Lindner to meet the demands of colleagues remains open, since the German government is already experiencing a significant financial burden caused by the consequences of the energy crisis and the initiation of measures to support citizens and industry. In connection with the sharp increase in financial costs, the head of the Ministry of Finance has repeatedly called on partners in the Cabinet to save, the magazine adds.
“Perhaps that is why, in their letter, Burbock and Lambrecht speak of special international expectations that Germany must meet. As the heads of departments probably believe, if the reputation of the country is at stake, Lindner will not be able to refuse additional funds, ”the publication concludes.
Recall that, according to the report of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection of Germany, presented earlier, Germany has already supplied Ukraine with military goods worth 775 million euros.
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