The German government has prepared everything necessary for additional assistance to Ukraine worth €3 billion, but there is a ‘fiscal problem’.
This was announced by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukrinform reports.
According to Pistorius, the German government is continuing negotiations on financing assistance to Ukraine.
‘As for the aid package of 3 billion, we have prepared everything we need, but we are still in the process of negotiations within the government, because there is still the issue of funds that are not yet available, because there is still no budget. This is just a fiscal problem in the government. We are working on it and I remain optimistic that we will find a solution,’ the minister said and expressed hope that 54 new German RCH 155 wheeled howitzers would arrive in Ukraine as soon as possible.
According to Pistorius, no matter what the outcome of the elections in Germany after 23 February, Berlin's support will remain ‘reliable, unwavering, committed and energetic’. ‘There is no doubt about that.’
Pistorius also said that he had arrived in Ukraine to discuss close cooperation between industries, increasing joint ventures and direct purchases in the Ukrainian defence sector with the support of European funds.
- On 14 January, the German Defence Minister arrived in Kyiv for a visit.
- Beforehand, Pistorius denied that Scholz was blocking the support package for Ukraine. However, the minister acknowledged that the package still had to be approved internally. Pistorius explained that the Ministry of Defence has prepared the package, and now a political decision is needed to provide it to Ukraine.