German Minister Seeks Debt Brake Exemption for Ukraine Aid

German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan has requested an exemption from the country's constitutional debt brake rule, urging the continuation of civil support and funding for Ukraine.

In a statement to Reuters during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan stated that the majority of civil support for Ukraine is funded through her ministry's budget. Emphasizing that Russian attacks have intensified and casualties have been rising, the minister stated that they will not be able to maintain the current level of support due to cuts in the development aid budget.

The budget allocated by the ministry for Ukraine has dropped from €670 million in 2022 and €750 million in 2023 to approximately €330 million this year. Alabali Radovan, a member of the Social Democrats, stated that this was not a political decision and that they are facing massive cuts. The proposal is supported by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul from the CDU, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, but faces opposition from party members who oppose new exceptions to the debt rules aside from defense spending.