Berlin is trying to “go solo” and bypass the EU’s weapons program, Thierry Breton has alleged
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton has lashed out at Germany for announcing a plan to arm Ukraine without going through the bloc’s common arms transfer mechanism. Berlin’s effort to bring other countries on board with the plan “hasn’t fooled anyone,” Breton stated.
Speaking at a press conference in Luxembourg last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his government would fork over more than €7 billion ($7.6 billion) in military aid to Ukraine this year, more than doubling the amount originally allocated in Germany’s 2024 budget.
Scholz also called on Germany’s “allies in the European Union to strengthen their efforts” to support Kiev, a remark that an EU diplomat told the Telegraph was likely aimed at France, whose donations to Ukraine are dwarfed by those of Germany.
READ MORE: Germany to double defense aid for Ukraine this year
“Today we see that Germany is trying to go solo, it hasn’t fooled anyone, and in particular it is trying to stop supporting the European Peace Facility,” Breton told reporters in Paris on Monday.
The European Peace Facility (EPF) is a €12 billion common fund used by the EU to jointly finance foreign militaries and reimburse its own members who send arms to foreign conflicts. France has availed itself extensively of the scheme while contributing €544 million in bilateral aid to Ukraine since February 2022, while Germany has sent nearly 40 times more bilateral military aid – €17.1 billion – in the same period.
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