The German government coalition has collapsed. Christian Lindner, who was dismissed from his position as finance minister, accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz of obstructing military support for Ukraine, as reported by Berliner Zeitung.
Lindner stated that the coalition's breakdown was preceded by a dispute between him and Scholz regarding financial shortfalls in the federal budget. Scholz allegedly insisted on allocating three billion euros to Ukraine, while Lindner, citing Germany's dire financial situation, proposed a more effective option: to provide Ukraine with what it most urgently needs for effective defense against Russia - Taurus cruise missiles.
According to Lindner, Scholz categorically rejected this proposal and instead announced the minister's dismissal.
Germany reduces aid to Ukraine due to financial issues
As reported by UNIAN, Germany has been experiencing economic slowdown for nearly two years, which threatens to lead to a full-blown recession. Analysts attribute this, in part, to the cessation of supplies of cheap Russian energy resources, on which the German economy depended for decades.
In August, it was revealed that the German government intends to sharply reduce military aid to Ukraine in the coming years. This is due to budget deficits. Reports indicated that Berlin has already stopped funding emergency off-schedule requests arising from the current situation on the front.