Germany will double its military aid to Ukraine for 2024, raising the figure from 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) to 8 billion euros ($8.6 billion), German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in an interview with the German broadcaster ARD on Nov. 12.
"This is a strong signal to Ukraine, showing we are not giving up on it," Pistorius said, amid rising concerns that the West's focus was shifting to the Israel-Hamas war.
The planned changes in Germany's budget allocation were a result of lessons learned from 2023, Pistorius said. Funds earmarked for military aid to Ukraine were "quickly exhausted" this year, and Germany would prefer not to have to request additional funding for 2024.
The additional funding would first need to be approved by the Bundestag's budget committee, which is set to begin budget adjustments on Nov. 16. It would then go on to a vote in the parliament.
Bild reported on Nov. 11 that Germany's coalition government planned to make the budget changes.
The news followed a Bild report on Oct. 22 that, according to a confidential Defense Ministry memo, the government had not yet budgeted enough funds to be able to deliver sufficient military aid to Ukraine in 2024.
At the same time, there were signs that Germany was shying away from enshrining a long-term commitment to military aid for Ukraine.
According to a report by Reuters on Nov. 11, unnamed diplomats said that several countries, including Germany, had expressed hesitation about a proposed multi-year EU fund for military aid for Ukraine.
The sources did say that "many countries still wanted to have a commitment at (the) EU level," but some preferred to continue providing funding on an annual basis instead of locking it in several years in advance.
Germany is the world's second provider of military aid to Ukraine after the United States.
Nate Ostiller
