German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his opposition to funding additional arms shipments to Ukraine by reducing spending in other areas during an election event in Bielefeld on January 13, 2025. He stated, "I am against taking this money from pensions, against cutting municipal budgets, and against investing less in railways and roads." Scholz emphasized the need for additional funding.
This stance faced strong criticism from the Green Party. Scholz noted the lack of a majority supporting his proposal to finance arms through suspending the debt ceiling mechanism. He explained that the 'traffic light' coalition ultimately collapsed due to disagreements over the 2025 budget.
According to Der Spiegel, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius from Scholz's Social Democratic Party are seeking an additional budget of around three billion euros before the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 23 to address Ukraine's urgent need for more weapons.
Scholz remarked, "If you are going to do that, you need to clarify where the money will come from." Pistorius confirmed that there were no obstructions from the chancellery, stating, "We have prepared a new aid package for Ukraine in the Defense Ministry. A political decision must now be made regarding it - and once all questions are resolved, I expect the necessary decision to be issued."
In response, Green Party leader Felix Banaszczak sharply criticized Scholz's position, labeling it as "irresponsible escalation" and asserting that it is possible to support Ukraine while ensuring Germany and Europe can defend themselves and fund pensions and childcare needs.
On the same day, during discussions with four European counterparts in the suburbs of Warsaw, Pistorius reiterated, "We will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary." He added that the goal is to achieve a fair and lasting peace, stating that it should not be negotiated at the expense of Ukrainians.
The five European ministers are consulting on long-term support for the Ukrainian arms industry. It was announced that European manufacturing companies should play a significant role in this context through their supply chains. Pistorius noted that, in return, their industries would benefit from Ukrainian battlefield expertise in using systems and weapons.
The meetings were organized among the five nations (Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the UK) following Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential elections, aiming to enhance European security and defense readiness. Trump has repeatedly raised doubts about the reliability of U.S. support for the Western alliance, leaving uncertainty regarding future military assistance to Ukraine under his leadership.