Scholz reacts to the arms dispute: German billions in aid is coming - "Ukraine can buy what she wants"

Created: 04/16/2022, 04:51

By: Patrick Mayer, Cindy Boden

Kyiv is not happy with Germany's stance in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Chancellor Scholz reacts to criticism - also from Selenskyj.

The news ticker.

• Ukraine conflict

  *: FDP politician Marie-Agnes

  Strack-Zimmermann calls on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to "act quickly"

  .

• Volodymyr Selenskyj

  criticizes

  Germany

  : The President is upset about Russian oil purchases.

• Does Germany deliver

  heavy weapons

  ?

  The pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz is increasing - also from his own coalition.

• This

  news ticker on reactions from Germany to the Ukraine war

  is continuously updated.

Update from April 15, 9:25 p.m .:

The federal government is increasing its financial aid for the Ukrainian military – probably also in response to the recently smoldering dispute over the delivery of heavy weapons.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) announced on Friday evening that the so-called training aid - an initiative to strengthen the security of foreign partners - would be increased to two billion euros in the supplementary budget.

"Most of the funds will benefit Ukraine," Lindner wrote on Twitter.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had "requested this at an early stage".

ARD had previously reported that “well over a billion” of the two billion euros in military aid should go to Ukraine.

The Ukrainians could use it to "buy the weapons they want," reported the ARD capital studio.

A spokeswoman for the federal government told the AFP news agency on request that the departments involved had agreed in principle two weeks ago to "substantially increase" the upgrading initiative.

Last week, the sum was then set at a total of two billion euros.

According to ARD information, in addition to direct aid to Ukraine, a further 400 million euros of new military aid is planned for the so-called European Peace Facility (EPF).

This is a special fund for European crisis management that has existed since 2016.

Among other things, the EPF procures weapons and equipment for the Ukrainian army.

According to the ARD, another 400 million of the total of two billion euros are intended for countries other than Ukraine.

Update from April 15, 6:45 p.m .:

Germany is planning another two billion euros in military aid.

A large part of this will go to Ukraine.

This was reported on Friday by the

news agency , citing government circles.

For example, around 400 million euros are earmarked for the European Peace Facility, which buys weapons for Ukraine, the report says.

Part of the money should also go to the German Bundeswehr.

Said two billion euros should not be part of the “Bundeswehr special fund”, but additional expenditure for security policy.

Germany in the Ukraine conflict: CDU leader Merz clearly criticizes Chancellor Scholz

Update from April 15, 5:30 p.m .:

Will there be more arms deliveries from Germany to Ukraine?

And: Does Berlin Kyiv also deliver heavy weapons such as armored personnel carriers?

CDU leader Friedrich Merz has again harshly criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for his alleged reticence on this issue.

He did this in an interview with the

"With his behavior he endangers the cohesion of the entire international community towards Russia.

It would now be appropriate to clarify what Germany is really doing.

The doubts that Germany is doing what the Chancellor says in his few words are increasing every day.

Right down to the statements from the SPD, which clearly show that there is increasing dissent in the government,” said Merz.

“Scholz once said that whoever orders leadership from me gets leadership.

Where is this leadership actually?” asked the CDU leader rhetorically.

"We don't want to know which routes are taken for the transports and when and where something was handed over.

We want to know what is being delivered and, above all, why the federal government does not want to deliver available material."

Where is this leadership?

CDU leader Merz on Chancellor Scholz (SPD)

Germany in the Ukraine conflict: Open letter to Federal President Steinmeier

Update from April 15, 4:55 p.m .:

The Ukrainian writer Katja Petrovskaya wrote an open letter to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, asking the German head of state: “Keep your word!” The

has the letter on released this Friday.

The "unimaginable violence with which the Russian army is acting in Ukraine" forces them "out of desperation to risk everything that is in my power," Petrovskaya explains her initiative.

"I understand the outrage of many of my fellow citizens who expected more support from Germany.

You want to be silent, you want to scream when you're struggling for help for vulnerable people and you don't get it.

I turn to you, Mr. Federal President: Find words for the Ukrainians, for the Germans, for the people of Europe.

How did this war come about?” She writes: “What is German politics, what did you do wrong, what can and must Germany do now?”

She directly asks Steinmeier to give "overdue answers" to "difficult questions".

Petrovskaya further explained to the Federal President: “You could save lives.

If you make it clear to the Germans that in Ukraine they are now fighting for their lives in freedom, for peace in Europe.

But you need weapons for that.

There is no other way."

Germany's reactions to the Russia-Ukraine war: Chancellor Scholz answers critics

Update from April 15, 2:55 p.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has responded to ongoing criticism of his leadership style in the Russia-Ukraine war – in a comparatively clear choice of words.

In such a situation, many thought they knew what leadership was, the SPD politician said in an interview with radio

, "I have to say to some of these boys and girls: Because I don't do what you want, that's why I lead." .

Most recently, the opposition coalition of the CDU and CSU had criticized the chancellor's work with a view to the war.

Germany's reactions to the Russia-Ukraine war: Chancellor Scholz defends himself against criticism

"The mood between the federal government and us is getting worse," said CDU leader Friedrich Merz a week ago on the RTL / ntv program "Frühstart".

Scholz is primarily responsible for this, said Merz: “Questions are answered that he wasn’t even asked.

And he doesn't answer the questions he was asked." The CSU chairman Markus Söder had even called for the dismissal of Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) from Scholz because of the stagnation in arms deliveries from Berlin to Kyiv.

"You embarrassed Germany," said Söder.

“We don't understand how money can be made from blood.

Unfortunately, that's what some countries are doing," said Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyj recently in an interview with the British BBC about energy supplies from Russia - and he probably meant Germany and the Chancellor in particular.

Scholz, who is viewed externally as factual and sober and pragmatic, has apparently had enough of the constant criticism of his leadership style in Germany during the war in Ukraine.

Germany's reactions to the Russia-Ukraine war: Baerbock tells a Moscow anecdote

Update from April 15, 2:45 p.m .:

The CIA is “concerned”: will Russia eventually use smaller nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war?

In a letter, Moscow puts pressure on the United States.

The German federal government in Berlin shouldn't like that either.

Update from April 15, 1:45 p.m .:

Annalena Baerbock (The Greens) is always the focus of the Russia-Ukraine war from a German perspective.

Now the Foreign Minister is telling an anecdote* about her delicate state visit to Moscow.

Germany's reactions to the Russia-Ukraine war: FDP politician calls for "rapid action"

Update from April 15, 11:15 a.m .:

FDP and Greens are not letting up.

They keep calling on SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz to make a decision about heavy weapons to Ukraine.

“

Another tough Russian offensive is looming in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian army can only counter this with heavy weapons.

The Chancellery must quickly set the course and coordinate with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Economics.

The war doesn't take a break," said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann in an interview with the

, according to the press release .

Vladimir Putin is "unpredictable one way or the other," says the FDP* politician, rejecting the argument that Russia's president could view such deliveries as entering the war.

“We are not and will not be a war party.

Ukraine was attacked in violation of international law and is allowed to defend itself accordingly, and the West is allowed to support it by supplying military material.”

The CIA, meanwhile, is concerned about the Russian use of "tactical nuclear weapons".

You can read more about this in our diplomatic ticker on the Ukraine war.

Selenskyj attacks Scholz: "Don't understand how you can make money with blood"

First report:

Berlin - Germany is arguing: about heavy weapons for Ukraine and about an oil and coal embargo.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz* is under a lot of pressure.

There are different opinions in their own SPD faction, the traffic light coalition partners Greens and FDP do not stop pushing.

Now tense tones can be heard again from Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has again sharply criticized Germany for continuing to buy Russian oil.

Germany and Hungary have blocked an embargo, Selenskyj told the BBC in an interview excerpt broadcast on Thursday (April 14).

“

.

Unfortunately, that's what some countries are doing.” Seven weeks after the start of the Ukraine war*, Zelenskyy said it was necessary to talk to these countries in order to change their attitude.

Germany and the Ukraine war: Kyiv puts pressure on Scholz - keyword "now"

“Some of our friends and partners understand that now is a different time, that it is no longer about business and money.

That it's a matter of survival," stressed the head of state.

He commended the US, Britain and some other European countries for arms sales.

“But we still need them sooner, sooner and faster.

The keyword is 'now'.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD, left) and Volodymyr Selenskyj, President of Ukraine, in February 2022 in Kyiv: The pressure on Germany is increasing.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Chancellor Scholz has so far been very reluctant to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine.

But the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also said in an interview with the ARD "Tagesthemen": "I hope that Scholz will make a positive decision." From Kuleba's point of view, the war could even have been avoided "if Germany had allowed arms deliveries earlier".

You can read more about the military events in the Ukraine war in our news ticker.

Does Germany supply heavy weapons?

"We cannot leave Ukraine alone in the war"

Scholz' Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck* (Greens) is meanwhile pursuing a clearer line: he is campaigning for an expansion of arms deliveries.

"More weapons have to come," he told the newspapers of the

.

“We cannot leave Ukraine alone in the war.

She fights for us too.

Ukraine must not lose, Putin must not win.”

But Habeck also cites a much-noticed argument: “At the same time, we have a responsibility not to become the target of attacks ourselves.

That's the framework within which we deliver everything that's possible.” That framework “so far doesn't include large tanks or fighter planes,” added Habeck.

Green politician Anton Hofreiter once again adopts a much researcher tone.