Scholz Accuses Critics of Misleading Public on Ukraine Aid “`

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refutes accusations of obstructing a €3 billion aid package for Ukraine.

Chancellor Scholz accuses his critics of misleading the public regarding his alleged reluctance to approve a proposed €3 billion ($3.1 billion) aid package for Ukraine. Senior officials have blamed Scholz for delaying the emergency aid, which was proposed by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Scholz maintains that proponents of the aid package lack transparency concerning its funding mechanism.

“The German people are being misled,” Scholz stated in a Monday interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, criticizing the lack of clarity on the package’s funding.

Ukraine aid is a key issue in Germany’s upcoming general election. Scholz, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate, secured the nomination after Defense Minister Pistorius declined, despite polling higher than the Chancellor in some surveys.

Baerbock of the Green Party recently criticized unnamed officials for prioritizing national interests over “responsibility for securing Europe’s peace,” a remark seemingly aimed at appealing to voters. Her party was part of the previous coalition government, which dissolved last year due to disagreements with the SPD and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) over spending.

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats also criticized Scholz for insufficient aid to Ukraine. Merz is currently leading in polls for the chancellorship.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD), an anti-immigration party, opposes funding Ukraine and advocates for resuming Russian energy imports to boost Germany’s economy. Currently trailing the Christian Democrats in polls, the AfD faces potential parliamentary action over concerns it threatens German democracy.

Despite internal disagreements over future aid, Germany remains the second-largest military donor to Ukraine after the US, providing approximately €11 billion from January 2022 to October 2024, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.