German MPs demand more money for Ukraine
The letter, signed by Bundestag deputies Robin Wagener, Sara Nanni, Sebastian Schafer and Anton Hofreiter, criticized the federal government's recently announced increase in military assistance from €7.1 billion to €8.3 billion.
The lawmakers pointed to the US decision to pause certain weapons shipments to Kiev as a critical factor, arguing that Berlin should raise the figure to at least €8.5 billion and commit to maintaining that level through 2029.
The Green MPs, who have been among Kiev's most vocal supporters in the Bundestag, reportedly said the government still had room to maneuver within the approved budget framework and argued that Germany's constitutional limits on debt spending could be sidestepped through special exemptions.
Berlin has already sent Kiev almost €16 billion, including €11.2 billion in direct weapons supplies since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, making it the largest single state donor after the US and UK, according to Germany's Kiel Institute.
The US reportedly paused deliveries of various critical munitions, including Patriot and Hellfire missiles, GMLRS rockets and 155mm artillery shells, under the Trump administration's 'America First' policy. The exact scale of the winddown remains unclear, as President Trump has insisted the US is still 'sending arms' to Kiev – while ensuring America retains enough stockpiles to defend itself and its allies.
Chancellor Merz recently announced plans to increase Germany's overall military budget to €153 billion by 2029, up from €86 billion this year, and pledged to allocate 3.5% of GDP to defense under a new NATO framework to counter what he called a direct threat from Russia.
The Kremlin has condemned the EU's militarization efforts and arms transfers to Kiev, describing the conflict as a NATO-led proxy war. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Western concerns about Russian aggression as 'nonsense,' accusing NATO of using fear to justify ballooning military budgets and blaming the bloc's expansion and 'aggressive behavior' for fueling the crisis.
Critics of Germany's government policy warn that continued arms spending could strain the national budget and further damage German industry, already suffering from rising energy costs, fallout from anti-Russia sanctions and the ongoing tariff standoff with the US.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party – which came second in the February elections but was excluded from forming a coalition – has called for an immediate halt to weapons shipments to Kiev and a resumption of energy cooperation with Moscow. On Friday, party leaders urged Merz to initiate direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pursue a negotiated settlement to the conflict to safeguard Germany's long-term national interests.
The Kremlin has stated that it remains open to dialogue with Berlin, but stressed that it is up to the German leadership to take the first step, having previously cut ties. Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron – who had previously supported deploying French troops to Ukraine but recently softened his stance – held a phone call with Putin, their first direct contact in nearly three years.
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