Source: Germany’s Scholz plan proposes doubling military aid to Ukraine

New Military Aid Agreement: Germany to Double Support for Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Coalition Agrees to Increase Military Aid

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition has reached an agreement in principle to double the country’s military aid for Ukraine next year to 8 billion euros ($8.5 billion), according to a political source in Berlin.

Boosting Defence Spending Above NATO Pledge

If approved by parliament, this increase would raise Germany’s defense spending to 2.1% of its gross domestic product, surpassing the 2% target pledged by all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members.

Agreement Reached During Budget Negotiations

Lawmakers of Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Free Democrats, and the Green party have agreed on the military aid increase during negotiations over the proposed 2024 federal budget. The budget committee of the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, is set to formally discuss the matter on Thursday, Nov. 16.

Confirmation from Ministry of Defence

The Bundestag committee has not completed negotiations, according to a spokesperson for Germany’s Ministry of Defence, who declined to provide further comment.

Positive Responses to the Increase

Member of parliament Andreas Schwarz, who serves as an SPD military budget official, expressed support for the doubling of military spending, stating, “Doubling the military spending is both the right thing to do and important. With the move, we will underscore our promise to Ukraine with the necessary funds. The fact that we will also be able to fulfill our NATO obligation is a great success of the coalition.”

EU Plan for Military Aid Faces Resistance

The European Union’s plan to allocate up to 20 billion euros ($21.4 billion) for military aid to Ukraine is currently encountering resistance from some EU countries, according to diplomats.

(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru, Holger Hansen in Berlin, writing by Vera Eckert in Frankfurt; Editing by David Gregorio, Kirsten Donovan)

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Read More of this Story at www.reuters.com – 2023-11-12 11:48:00