The German government plans to up its military aid to Ukraine by another 3.8 billion euros ($4.13 billion) in 2024, Reuters reported on May 21, citing its undisclosed source.
The news agency confirmed an earlier article by the tabloid Bild, which also said that the sum of over 7 billion euros, previously approved by Germany's parliament for this year, has been almost entirely allocated to various projects.
As only around 300 million euros (roughly $325 million) are left for additional weapons or ammunition purchases, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had requested the additional funds with the backing of Finance Minister Christian Lindner, Bild reported.
Final approval will be required by the parliament in June.
Initially criticized for its sluggish delivery of military aid to Ukraine following the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Germany has become the second-largest provider of military equipment after the U.S.
Also on May 21, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Ukraine's capital for a previously unannounced visit.
Upon her arrival, Baerbock underscored Ukraine's need for air defenses to help repel Russian aerial attacks.
"Russian missile terror, constant air alerts, permanent power outages, hardly any water: the situation in Ukraine has once again escalated dramatically with the massive Russian air strikes on the civilian infrastructure and the brutal Russian offensive in the Kharkiv area," the minister said.
"That's why, together with Defense Minister (Boris) Pistorius, I launched a global initiative for more air defense. Almost a billion euros have now been raised to provide additional support for the Ukrainian air defense forces, and we are working intensively to ensure that there is even more."
Berlin launched the initiative in April amid Kyiv's increasingly dire need for air defenses, facing heavy Russian aerial attacks against population centers and the energy grid.
A number of countries have already backed the initiative since then, including Belgium, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and others.
Germany has also pledged to deliver its third Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.
Martin Fornusek
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