Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner has called for increased European involvement in supporting Ukraine, amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. On January 28, Lindner emphasized that while Germany is actively contributing and prepared to "mobilize even more if necessary," the effort needs to be a collective one across Europe. This is reported by Deutschlandfunk.
Initially, Germany faced criticism for its hesitant response in providing aid to Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion.
As the EU's largest economy, the expectation was for a more robust and immediate reaction. However, Germany has since escalated its military support, ranking as the second-largest provider after the United States.
Echoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's earlier remarks in January, Lindner highlighted the imbalance in military support from other EU countries.
He stressed that Germany's increased involvement should not compensate for the lesser contributions of other EU members. His statement, made at the European Liberal Party Conference in Berlin, resonates with a call for shared responsibility within the EU.
The urgency for increased support was further underlined by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who noted in November that the EU is unlikely to meet its target of supplying one million shells to Ukraine by March 2024.
