Germany is planning to slash its support for Kyiv. As the third largest economy in the world, it could well afford to increase it
19 August 2024 •
Just as Ukraine’s Kursk offensive has the Russians on the run, the Germans are poised to cut military aid to their embattled ally by 94 per cent over the next three years. A well-sourced report in the influential Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, revealing how German support for Ukraine will fall from its current level of £6.8 billion to just £425 million by 2027, has prompted accusations of betrayal in Berlin. So far, there has been no official denial from Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the ruling centre-Left coalition.
In Kyiv, the report is being dismissed as “manipulation”, cooked up by pro-Russian factions. But Germany was already intending to halve its funding for Ukraine next year and these projections follow the same trajectory. The usual excuses will be trotted out: Germany is bound by law to balance its budget, the coalition is hopelessly divided, and war weariness has sapped public support for Ukraine.
All this is true, but hardly adequate to explain why a nation that has hitherto prided itself on being Europe’s biggest donor, second only to the United States globally, is now abdicating its responsibility.
The official line is that Germany is handing over its role to Europe as a whole, which is the path of least resistance. In practice, it means replacing actual military hardware with nebulous promises that may never materialise. At the G7 summit in June, a tentative agreement was reached to use $300 billion (£230 billion) in frozen Russian assets as collateral for a €50 billion loan to Ukraine. But from Kyiv’s point of view, the loan scheme is pie in the sky.
The success of the Ukrainian incursion into Russia has blindsided Berlin. By turning the tables on the Russian invaders, Zelensky’s warriors have unnerved the Germans, for whom the words “Kursk offensive” conjure up unwelcome ghosts from the past. On the same fields in July 1943, Hitler lost the biggest tank battle in history. Putin’s propaganda machine smears Zelensky’s government as “Nazis”. Now German panzers may be back at Kursk. In Washington, the German abandonment of Ukraine will reinforce isolationist sentiment, providing ammunition for Donald Trump’s claims about Europe’s freeloading. In Moscow, it signals that Putin only has to wait for Ukraine to run out of arms and ammunition.
As the third largest economy in the world, Germany could well afford to increase its assistance to Ukraine – less than 0.2 per cent of its $5 trillion GDP. Yet Scholz is instead continuing the old Ostpolitik of appeasing Putin that began under Gerhard Schröder and was continued by Angela Merkel. This could be Scholz’s Munich moment.
At next year’s federal elections, Scholz is likely to be replaced by his centre-Right rival, Friedrich Merz. This could be an opportunity for Germany to rally the Western alliance, in the Cold War tradition of Adenauer, Schmidt and Kohl. Instead, Merz appears desperate to return to business as usual with Russia.
Germany is irreplaceable in Europe. France has no government and both its far-Left and far-Right are pro-Russian. Sir Keir Starmer seems more interested in Gaza and may even follow the German example of quietly withdrawing military support. Zelensky will go it alone if necessary. He is increasingly confident of victory, especially with F-16 aircraft coming into action soon. But Germany is in effect telling him to sue for peace on Putin’s terms – however catastrophic that would be for Ukraine, Europe and the West.
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A companion piece with no connection whatsoever to the DT.
WARNING: SATIRE.
German Press Conference On Ukraine: No Holds Barred Questions Answered | No Delusion Zone
In this recent press conference at the Reichstag in Berlin, Helmut Krankundmüde, the spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, addresses the ongoing support for Ukraine. ✨ Please visit & subscribe for David DeBatto’s unfiltered insights on today’s most pressing issues at https://www.protectingtherepublic.com/
Krankundmüde In his usual humorous and sharp manner, Krankundmüde explains why Germany is cautious about providing military aid, like the Taurus missiles, and the balancing act of maintaining relations with Russia.
Throughout the press conference, journalists from top outlets like the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Le Monde, and The Guardian ask pointed questions about Germany’s stance on Ukraine, the influence of former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s ties to Russia, and recent events like the assassination attempt on a top German CEO.
This is a fuckin tragedy. Germans can wait until missiles are directed to their hospitals or up Scholz ass such a tragedy.
Fact is, that Scholz’s “traffic light” coalition is a dead man walking. This collection of clowns (except Bearbock and a few others) will not rule Germany after the next elections, and Scholz will not be chancellor again. You can take that to the bank.