Concerns have been raised regarding the pace and scope of military aid being provided to Ukraine, with prominent figures from both the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Green Party calling for increased support.
Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU foreign policy specialist, criticized the current government’s approach, stating that its continuation of policies has resulted in aid being delivered “too late, too little and certain items not being provided”. Specifically, he referenced the ongoing hesitancy regarding the provision of Taurus cruise missiles, a stance shared across the current governing coalition. Kiesewetter further suggested that Russia views Western expressions of concern as inadequate, describing the situation as a “strategic error”. He argued that expanding military assistance is readily achievable, as it is exempt from Germany’s debt brake, allowing for increased financial support to flow into Ukraine’s arms production.
Sebastian Schäfer, a Green Party politician, echoed the call for a significant expansion of the corresponding budget allocation, currently set at nine billion euros annually. He emphasized that recent amendments to the German Basic Law offer greater flexibility and that action is “urgently necessary”. Schäfer proposed that expanding support does not necessarily require new weapons purchases, noting unused capacity within Ukraine’s arms industry hindered by a lack of funding. He disputed the impact of recent government pledges, stating that “nothing is visible in the federal budget, where politics becomes real”.
