CONFLICT
Germany plans to halve military aid for Ukraine
July 18, 2024 - Germany plans to halve its military aid to Ukraine next year, despite concerns that U.S. support for Kyiv could diminish if Donald Trump returns to the White House.
German aid to Ukraine will be cut to 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2025 from around 8 billion euros in 2024, according to a draft of the 2025 budget seen by Reuters.
Germany hopes Ukraine will be able to meet the bulk of its military needs with the $50 billion in loans from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets approved by the Group of Seven, and that funds earmarked for armaments will not be fully used.
Alarm bells rang across Europe this week after Trump picked Senator JD Vance, who opposes military aid for Ukraine and warned Europe will have to rely less on the United States to defend the continent, as his candidate for vice president, according to Reuters.