There Germany recently announced a decision that represents a significant turning point in its aid policy to Ukraine, at a particularly critical moment in the conflict with Russia. Berlin, according to the Faz, has in fact decided to stop any new flow of financial aid to Kievexcept for the military ones already agreed upon. This move, which comes unexpectedly, raises several questions regarding the immediate consequences on the military and financial front for Ukraine, but also on the political and diplomatic implications that derive from it.
Led by the Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz and from his coalition “stoplight“, the German government has taken this decision which has raised a lively debate, given Germany’s position as one of Ukraine’s main supporters in its battle against Russian aggression. With this measure, Ukraine’s access to new financial resources is limited, with funds already allocated for the current year amounting to around eight billion euros and a maximum of four billion for next year.
Despite the restriction imposed by Germany, Ukraine is expected to be able to continue to benefit from financial support through other avenuessuch as funds from the freezing of Russian assets abroad and a $50 billion loan made available by the G7 countries.
Several factors contributed to this decision, which reflects the complex challenges facing Germany both domestically and internationally. From an economic point of view, the country is facing difficulties aggravated by the consequences of the war in Ukraineand from energy crisis connected to it. From a political point of view, this gesture seems to be a response to pressure from domestic public opinion, which has seen an increase in popularity of pro-Russia positions and those against financing Ukraine.
Another factor that influenced the German decision is the alleged involvement of a Ukrainian command in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. This has certainly contributed to further deterioration of relations between Berlin and Kiev, raising concerns about European energy security.