German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Nov. 6, that he had dismissed Finance minister Christian Lindner.
This move will likely lead to a snap election soon, as Scholz’s Social Democratic Party will not have enough votes for the budget of next year.
Four sources told Reuters that the funds for Ukraine are mainly committed appropriations, and can be allocated if the budget does not pass.
There will be no new projects funded due to the likely delay of the budget. However, some expenses such as increased assistance to Ukraine may still be passed.
In February, the German parliament approved the budget for this fiscal year, which included 8.2 billion euros (7.6 billion euros) of military assistance to Kyiv. According to Reuters, the aid has been cut in half according to the draft budget for 2025.
Reuters reported that Scholz wanted to increase the Ukraine support package to 15 billion euro ($16.1 billion), and finance it through the suspension of the debt brake law, which limits borrowing.
Scholz partially justified Lindner’s dismissal, stating that he asked the minister to ease spending rules in order to increase aid to Ukraine. Lindner refused.
Berlin, which was initially criticized for its slow delivery of military aid after the full-scale invasion began, has now become the second largest provider of military equipment behind the U.S.
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