In his government statement before the EU summit next week, Chancellor Scholz again promised Ukraine solidarity and comprehensive aid. Germany will support the country – “for as long as necessary”.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has again promised unlimited aid to Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. Germany will support Ukraine “for as long as necessary,” said Scholz in a government statement in the Bundestag ahead of the upcoming EU summit. “We stand firmly with Ukraine.”
Scholz pointed out that Germany’s civil and military aid now totals 16.8 billion euros. Germany will continue to focus on armored combat vehicles, anti-aircraft systems, artillery and the necessary ammunition when it comes to arms deliveries. Germany is thus providing exactly what Ukraine most urgently needs in the ongoing offensive to liberate its territories.
At the same time, the federal government is determined to defend Germany and Europe. “We do everything that is necessary to protect the security of our country against any threat,” emphasized the SPD politician.
Not joined NATO before the end of the war
With a view to the NATO summit in Lithuania in July, the chancellor reiterated that Ukraine’s accession to the alliance before an end to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is out of the question. The Ukrainian government also determined this itself, said Scholz. “That’s why I’m advocating that in Vilnius we concentrate on what now has absolute priority: namely, strengthening Ukraine’s actual combat capability.”
To this end, NATO is working in parallel with the EU and the G7 group on “effective and long-term security commitments”. The allies were pursuing two goals, said Scholz. “To provide Ukraine with sustained military support – also with modern Western weapons. And at the same time to strengthen Ukraine’s economic resilience in its defense against Russian aggression.”
In his statement, Scholz insisted on Sweden joining NATO quickly, which is still being blocked by Turkey. He was “firmly convinced that Sweden, as a new ally, should sit at the summit table alongside Finland”. He is appealing to the re-elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to clear the way for this now – as was jointly decided at the NATO summit in Madrid last year.
Massive strengthening of the Bundeswehr
Against the background of the “completely changed security situation in Europe”, Scholz committed to a massive and sustainable strengthening of the Bundeswehr. This must become “a guarantor of conventional defense in Europe”. Scholz confirmed that from 2024, according to NATO guidelines, two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) should be spent on defense. The federal government is making sure “that the Bundeswehr finally gets the equipment it needs,” assured Scholz. The 100 billion euro special fund set up after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine also contributes to this.
Scholz defends EU asylum reform
European asylum policy will also be a topic at the EU summit next week. In his government statement, Scholz supported the controversial EU decisions for a tougher course in asylum policy. Scholz announced that he would defend the decisions of the EU interior ministers “out of conviction at the European Council next week.” “We will ensure that the deal gets even better until it is finalized,” he added.
The goal must be to come to an agreement before the European elections next year. Scholz admitted that he knew that there was also criticism of the decisions in Germany. Nevertheless, these were correct, “in the interests of unity and Europe’s ability to act”, since the previous European asylum system does not work. There must therefore be a new agreement “that combines responsibility at the external border with the solidarity of everyone,” emphasized Scholz.
It is about connecting secure EU external borders with open borders within the Union. “One cannot be had without the other in the long term,” warned the Chancellor. For Germany, it is about “limiting irregular migration” but at the same time “strengthening legal migration into the labor market”.
Merz: Traffic light dispute harms the EU
Following the government statement, Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz accused the federal government of slowing down the further development of a common EU foreign policy with ongoing disputes. “We could be much further in Europe if the Federal Republic of Germany, its federal government, took a more united stance in Europe,” criticized Merz.
If the federal government constantly argues about domestic, foreign and European policy issues, “this dispute is also transferred to the European Union,” said the CDU leader. After all, Germany is “the geostrategically most important country in the middle of Europe”.