Germany allocates €3 billion in new military support to Ukraine

(Reuters): Germany has approved €3 billion ($3.25 billion) in additional military aid for Ukraine, a parliamentary committee source confirmed on Friday, just hours after a sweeping defence and infrastructure spending bill cleared its final legislative hurdle.

The new funding is earmarked for artillery munitions, air defence systems, and other military equipment to bolster Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression.

The announcement comes as part of a broader shift in Germany’s defence policy, led by incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The conservative CDU/CSU alliance, in coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens, has agreed to amend Germany’s stringent "debt brake" rules to allow for increased defence spending.

“Germany is back,” Merz declared during a press briefing in Berlin on Thursday. “Germany is making its large contribution to the defence of freedom and peace in Europe.”

Merz introduced the expanded defence budget earlier this month, seeking parliamentary approval before the new Bundestag convenes on March 25. The budget vote is expected to take place on March 18, with the ruling coalition’s combined support ensuring the necessary two-thirds majority.

Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz has signalled that the additional Ukraine aid will be released upon parliamentary approval of the budget.

This latest aid package brings Germany’s total military support for Ukraine this year to €7 billion ($7.2 billion), making Berlin one of Kyiv’s most significant backers in Europe.

According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, the new package includes three IRIS-T air defence systems, three Skyranger units, 10 howitzers, 20 armoured vehicles, drones, and a large quantity of artillery and surface-to-air missiles.

Meanwhile, Italy and Spain have expressed hesitation over backing a broader European Union initiative to increase military aid to Ukraine, highlighting divisions within the bloc over defence contributions.

The recalibration of Germany’s security posture comes amid a wider European reassessment of defence policy, driven in part by the uncertain trajectory of U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump. The next Bundestag, however, is expected to include a significant presence from the far-right AfD and the leftist Die Linke, both of which oppose continued military aid to Ukraine.