Scholz faces political pressure over €3B Ukraine aid package

Ahead of a federal election he is likely to lose, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing a tough challenge with efforts to approve a €3 billion military aid package that is vital for Kyiv but could have negative political repercussions for him, News.az reports citing Politico.

The proposed package has been delayed by what Scholz’s party colleague Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called a “fiscal problem,” although he said he’s “optimistic” it can be resolved before the Feb. 23 election.

However, the political obstacles to getting the package passed will be difficult to overcome during a fraught campaign.

Faced with accusations he’s putting the brakes on further aid to Ukraine, Scholz said tough conversations need to be had if the military support package — the largest yet from any ally — can be confirmed over the coming days.

“I had suggested expanding [military aid] at some point,” Scholz said of Ukraine aid on the campaign trail this week. “But if you do that, you also have to say where the money is coming from.”

Scholz, whose Social Democratic Party (SPD) is in third place in the polls with 15 percent support, said he’s against cutting pensions, local government finance and road investment to get more weapons to Kyiv.

Speaking on national TV on Wednesday, Scholz said he would only agree to the package if new debt is issued to fund it — a challenge to other parties that insist on limiting borrowing. “We will finance this separately through loans,” Scholz said, calling on other parties to “overcome their reservations" around debt.

He’s also aware that ramping up deliveries is unpopular with insurgent parties on both the far right and the left of German politics.

However, mainstream parties, including senior figures in both the Greens and Free Democrats as well as the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), say they want to get moving on the aid.

News.Az