German chancellor blocks €3 billion weapon allocation for Ukraine - Spiegel

Der Spiegel reports this, citing sources, according to DW.

Baerbock and Pistorius are pushing for an additional €3 billion in weapons aid to Ukraine before the Bundestag elections. However, Olaf Scholz’s office opposes this.

The list of weapons for Ukraine, compiled after the collapse of the government coalition in November 2024, includes three Iris-T air defense battery systems with missiles, Patriot missiles, 10 wheeled howitzers, and artillery shells, the publication notes.

According to the sources, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry of Germany justified the need for additional aid by stating that urgent needs from Kyiv could not have been anticipated during the previous planning. Specifically, the military situation in Ukraine has worsened significantly in recent months due to the acceleration of the Russian offensive, and after Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, it remains uncertain whether Washington will continue providing military support to Ukraine after his inauguration on January 20.

Baerbock and Pistorius' plan stalled in early January as Scholz’s office unofficially indicated it does not support additional funds for Ukraine. According to Spiegel, the reason given was a reluctance to present the incoming German government with a fait accompli. Additionally, Scholz’s office does not see the need for urgent action, arguing that the approximately €4 billion allocated for military aid to Ukraine in the previous 2025 budget is sufficient, and highlighting the possibility of using the $50 billion G7 credit from frozen Russian assets.

Der Spiegel sources within the Social Democrats suggest that Scholz does not want to announce further arms supplies to Ukraine during the election campaign to avoid alienating potential SPD voters.

• The Social Democratic Party of Germany denied opposition politician Roderich Kiesewetter's statement about a potential meeting between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian leader Vladimir Putin before February 23. Scholz himself called Kiesewetter's statement a "false claim."