German FM urges Scholz to act and support aid to Ukraine amid election campaign

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has urged Chancellor Olaf Scholz to avoid politicizing aid to Ukraine during Germany's election campaign, n-tv reported on Jan. 20.

Baerbock made the comments in Berlin, speaking alongside Lithuania’s foreign minister.

“Times are too difficult now, Germany has too much responsibility for us all to indulge in pre-election rhetoric in the coming weeks,” she said.

Baerbock emphasized that Germany has pledged to support Ukraine and its Eastern European partners for as long as necessary.

"This is a crucial issue for trust in Europe, whether we are able to act in the interests of the security of all of us, our European security,” she noted.

Her remarks come amid reports of a growing rift in the intermin Social Democrat-Greens cabinet as Scholz is reluctant to greenlight an additional 3 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in security assistance for Kyiv.

Despite Baerbock's and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' (SPD) support for the new assistance tranche, the chancellor said he would sign off on it only if it is paid with additional borrowing, an unpopular step among other parties.

Berlin stands as Ukraine's second largest military donor, a role of growing importance as Ukraine faces a heavy Russian onslaught in the east of the country, and the future of U.S. support appears uncertain under the incoming Trump administration.

Merkel highlights NATO’s role in supporting Ukraine, urges transatlantic unity, media reports

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that a united NATO, bolstered by strong U.S. leadership, is essential to counter Putin’s ambitions and safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

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