German foreign minister warns Scholz against using topic of funding aid for Ukraine in election campaign
Pravda Ukraine
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned Chancellor Olaf Scholz against using the issue of funding aid for Ukraine in the election campaign.
Source: German television news channel n-tv citing Baerbock, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Baerbock, during a meeting with her Lithuanian counterpart Kęstutis Budrys in Berlin, emphasised that “the times are too difficult and Germany has too much responsibility to be caught up in election rhetoric over the next few weeks”.
Quote from Baerbock: “This is a crucial issue for trust in Europe, whether we are able to act in the interests of the security of all of us, our European security.”
Details: Baerbock noted that all German officials had promised neighbouring European countries that they would support Ukraine as long as it needs support from Germany and that the country would support its Eastern European partners.
“It is important that we continue to do this, especially in difficult times,” Baerbock pointed out.
Background:
- Earlier, German newspaper Spiegel had unofficially learned that there was a dispute within the German government over an additional arms package for Ukraine worth about €3 billion.
- Later, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius refuted claims that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had been blocking the additional package for Ukraine.
- Meanwhile, Scholz himself stated that he opposed increasing the planned military assistance to Ukraine if it required cuts to other budget items.
- He also noted that there had been no parliamentary majority to suspend Germany’s strict debt limit, known as the “debt brake”, to fund aid to Ukraine or other policies.
- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had previously criticised the government for its indecision regarding aid for Ukraine, emphasising that “Germany as a whole isn’t currently seen as a driving force for peace policy in Europe”.
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