The German Bild newspaper reported on Sunday that the German Defense Ministry is concerned about the draft budget for next year due to the fact that it lacks more than 5 billion Euros to allocate military aid to Ukraine.
Bild newspaper added, “It turns out that Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner has planned to allocate very little money to Ukraine in the budget for next year, and the Ministry of Defense is sounding the alarm, explaining that the 2024 budget lacks more than 5 billion Euros to help Ukraine”.
As Bild newspaper explained, aid to Ukraine is included in the general expenditures section, and now 3.1 billion Euros are already included there for promised measures, 770 million Euros for aid through the Foreign Ministry, and 120 million Euros for new military projects, which Bild newspaper calls pity sensational.
The German Ministry of Defense indicated that an additional 5.22 billion Euros should be allocated for military assistance to Ukraine: 880 million for air defense, 675 million for armored military equipment, 390 million Euros for engineering forces, 935 million for protective equipment and 2.34 billion Euros for repairs, spare parts and logistics.
The budget doesn’t include 525 million Euros to replace the equipment transferred by the Bundeswehr to Ukraine.
Bild newspaper confirmed that at the present time, the draft budget is subject to discussion and approval, and must finally be approved in November.
Russia earlier sent a memorandum to NATO countries over the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated that any shipment containing weapons to Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that NATO countries were playing with fire by supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Lavrov stated that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel on the territory of Great Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries.
