Germany Remains Committed to Military Aid for Ukraine, Scholz Declares

Germany has reaffirmed its commitment to support Ukraine militarily, despite concerns over potential cuts amid domestic budget challenges, according to Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He emphasized on Wednesday that Berlin’s backing for Ukraine will remain steadfast.

“Germany’s support for Ukraine will not cease. We have made provisions, struck defense deals, and secured funding in a timely manner, ensuring that Ukraine can continue to rely on us in the future,” Scholz stated.

Reports earlier in August suggested that the German finance ministry might halt approvals for new military aid to Ukraine due to budget constraints, which led to a decline in European defense stocks. However, a spokesperson for the German government labeled that report as “incorrect” and reaffirmed that Germany would support Ukraine for “as long as necessary.”

Scholz made these comments at a military base near Todendorf, where Germany’s first IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense system has just been declared operational. Even prior to this, Germany had funded and supplied several IRIS-T SLM systems for Ukraine to protect Kyiv from Russian missile attacks, making these systems a significant part of Western military assistance.

To date, Germany has delivered four out of the 12 IRIS-T SLM units pledged to Ukraine, with two additional systems scheduled for shipment by year-end. Scholz highlighted the success of the IRIS-T in Ukraine, stating that it has intercepted over 250 missiles, drones, and cruise missiles, boasting an impressive success rate of around 95%.

The IRIS-T system, developed by German manufacturer Diehl, has a range of approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) and offers a 360-degree field of view. It has been effective in intercepting cruise missiles launched by Russia against critical infrastructure and has also been used against aircraft, including Iranian-made drones.