Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has scored a huge victory in the form of an historic defense and infrastructure budget deal which happened only after a deal was struck with his future dance partner in power, the Green Party.
The budget, which is now expected to pass after the barrier to its passage was removed, will include $1 trillion for defense and infrastructure, including $3 billion in aid to Ukraine. Merz declared after the agreement was made, “Germany is back. Germany is making its great contribution to the defense of freedom and peace in Europe.”
Germany poised to unlock €3B Ukraine aid after historic spending deal – POLITICO Europe
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Germany’s government plans to release €3 billion in military aid for Ukraine following the passage of a historic spending plan this week.
Speaking to lawmakers from his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on Tuesday morning, chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz said that the aid package for Ukraine will be released Friday following the expected passage of reforms to the constitution, people familiar with the discussion told POLITICO. Those reforms effectively exempt defense spending and aid for Ukraine from the restraints of Germany’s so-called debt brake, satisfying a key demand of the outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
The news of the aid release is also timed to coincide with a summit of EU leaders in Brussels later this week in which aid for Ukraine and bolstering Europe’s defenses will be on the agenda.
