In his government statement ahead of next week’s EU summit, Chancellor Scholz again pledged Ukraine’s solidarity and comprehensive assistance. Germany will support the country – “as long as needed”.
President Olaf Scholz has again pledged unlimited aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Germany will support Ukraine “as long as necessary,” Scholz said in a government statement to 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 fighting vehicles, anti-aircraft systems, artillery and ammunition for weapon delivery. Germany is providing exactly what Ukraine most urgently needs in its current offensive to liberate its territories.
At the same time, the federal government is determined to protect Germany and Europe. “We are doing everything necessary to protect the security of our country against any threat,” the SPD politician stressed.
It did not join NATO before the end of the war
With a view to a NATO summit in Lithuania in July, the president reiterated that Ukraine’s joining the alliance is out of the question before an end to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Sholes said that the Ukrainian government also decided this on its own. “That’s why we in Vilnius are now focusing on what we have the absolute priority: strengthening Ukraine’s real combat capability.”
To this end, NATO works alongside the European Union and the G7 group on “effective and long-term security commitments”. The allies were pursuing two goals, Sholes said. “Provide sustained military support to Ukraine – with modern Western weapons. At the same time strengthen economic resilience in Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.”
In his statement, Scholz urged Sweden to quickly join NATO, which is still blocked by Turkey. He was “convinced that Sweden, as a new ally, should sit at the summit table with Finland”. He is now appealing to re-elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to clear the way for this – as agreed jointly at last year’s NATO summit in Madrid.
Massive Fortification of Bundeswere
Against the backdrop of a “completely changed security situation in Europe”, Scholz promised a massive and permanent strengthening of the Bundeswehr. It should become “a guarantee of regular security in Europe”. Scholz confirmed that from 2024, according to NATO guidelines, two percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) should be spent on defense. The federal government is ensuring that “the Bundeswehr finally gets the equipment it needs,” Scholz promised. A 100 billion euro special fund set up after the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine also contributes to this.
Scholz supports EU asylum reform
European asylum policy will also be a topic at the EU summit next week. In his government report, Scholz supported controversial EU decisions for a tougher approach to asylum policy. Scholz announced that he would defend the decisions of EU interior ministers “without confidence at the European Council next week”. “We will make sure that the deal is better until it ends,” he added.
The aim should be to reach an agreement before next year’s European elections. Scholz acknowledged that he was aware of the criticism of the decisions made in Germany as well. Nevertheless, these are right “in the interests of cohesion and Europe’s ability to function” because the previous European asylum system did not work. So there must be a new deal, Scholes insisted, that “links responsibility at the outer border with the solidarity of all.”
It would combine secure EU external borders with open borders within the Union. “One cannot exist without the other in the long run,” warned the chancellor. For Germany, this means “limiting irregular migration” but at the same time “strengthening legal immigration in the labor market”.
MERS: Traffic light dispute could harm EU
Following the government statement, Union Parliament committee leader Friedrich Merz accused the central government of slowing down the further development of a common EU foreign policy with ongoing disputes. “If the Federal Republic of Germany, its federal government, took a more unified position in Europe, we could be more in Europe,” Merz criticized.
If the central government continues to argue over domestic, foreign and European policy issues, the CDU leader said, “the dispute will be transferred to the EU”. After all, Germany is “the most geostrategically important country in the middle of Europe”.
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