The Bundestag, Germany’s federal parliament, has approved a proposal by the Free Democratic Party (FDP) to provide additional military aid to Ukraine, including a significant financial commitment.
The proposal urges the German government to request the inclusion of "unplanned expenses" of up to 3 billion euros in the federal budget to finance further support measures for Ukraine, which has been enduring an invasion by Russia.
The FDP and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) voted in favor of the proposal, while the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the Left Party, and the Alliance of Sara Wagenknecht opposed it.
Meanwhile, members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens abstained from voting. The debate centers around how to fund the additional 3 billion euros in aid to Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a member of the SPD, has advocated for an exemption from the debt brake rule to facilitate the funding.
On the other hand, the CDU, FDP, and the Greens, which are part of the coalition government with the SPD, argue for funding the weapon deliveries through unplanned budget spending.
The FDP’s proposal asserts that such expenditures are a reliable tool in fiscal policy and are regularly used in budgetary decisions.
Contrary to Chancellor Scholz’s stance, the FDP believes that unplanned expenditures do not require cuts to other areas of the budget, such as pensions or municipal funding, noting that budgeted funds are often not fully spent.
The parliamentary session ended prematurely on Thursday night due to a lack of quorum, as the debate over additional financial aid to Ukraine intensified partisan divisions.
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