Aid to Ukraine led to government collapse, says Germany's Scholz
Germany's ruling coalition has fallen apart due to the FDP leader's refusal to support proposals for boosting assistance to Kiev, according to Chancellor Scholz. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Finance Minister Christian Lindner was dismissed due to his unwillingness to increase funding for Kiev, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Scholz stated that the primary cause of the collapse of Germany’s ruling coalition was Lindner's refusal to endorse a budgetary plan aimed at boosting aid to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Scholz removed Lindner, the leader of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), which is one of the three parties in Germany’s ‘Traffic Light’ coalition government, alongside the Social Democrats and the Greens.
The conflict between Scholz and Lindner reportedly escalated following a meeting where coalition partners could not reach an agreement on addressing a multibillion-euro budget shortfall for the upcoming year and revitalizing the struggling economy.
During a press conference that same day, Scholz explained that by dismissing Lindner—who resigned along with other FDP ministers—he aimed to “turn away damage from our country.”
The chancellor outlined his proposal, which included initiatives to ensure affordable energy costs, a strategy to protect jobs in the automotive sector, and plans for an investment premium to attract capital to Germany. Scholz emphasized the importance of “increasing our support for Ukraine, which is heading towards a severe winter,” asserting that Germany must convey a message to the world about its reliability, especially in light of Donald Trump’s past victory.
“The finance minister shows no willingness to implement this offer in the federal government for the benefit of our country. I do not want to subject our country to such behavior any longer,” he added.
With the coalition's dissolution, Scholz now leads a minority government and has announced a vote of confidence scheduled for mid-January, which could potentially lead to a snap election in March.
Earlier media reports indicated that Lindner had requested the Defense Ministry to limit military assistance to Kiev, citing budgetary challenges. Berlin has already significantly reduced its aid to the war-torn country, cutting projected support from €7.5 billion in 2024 to just €4 billion in 2025.
Russia has condemned Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing that they only serve to prolong the conflict and impose financial burdens on taxpayers without changing the outcome.
Sanya Singh for TROIB News
Scholz stated that the primary cause of the collapse of Germany’s ruling coalition was Lindner's refusal to endorse a budgetary plan aimed at boosting aid to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Scholz removed Lindner, the leader of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), which is one of the three parties in Germany’s ‘Traffic Light’ coalition government, alongside the Social Democrats and the Greens.
The conflict between Scholz and Lindner reportedly escalated following a meeting where coalition partners could not reach an agreement on addressing a multibillion-euro budget shortfall for the upcoming year and revitalizing the struggling economy.
During a press conference that same day, Scholz explained that by dismissing Lindner—who resigned along with other FDP ministers—he aimed to “turn away damage from our country.”
The chancellor outlined his proposal, which included initiatives to ensure affordable energy costs, a strategy to protect jobs in the automotive sector, and plans for an investment premium to attract capital to Germany. Scholz emphasized the importance of “increasing our support for Ukraine, which is heading towards a severe winter,” asserting that Germany must convey a message to the world about its reliability, especially in light of Donald Trump’s past victory.
“The finance minister shows no willingness to implement this offer in the federal government for the benefit of our country. I do not want to subject our country to such behavior any longer,” he added.
With the coalition's dissolution, Scholz now leads a minority government and has announced a vote of confidence scheduled for mid-January, which could potentially lead to a snap election in March.
Earlier media reports indicated that Lindner had requested the Defense Ministry to limit military assistance to Kiev, citing budgetary challenges. Berlin has already significantly reduced its aid to the war-torn country, cutting projected support from €7.5 billion in 2024 to just €4 billion in 2025.
Russia has condemned Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing that they only serve to prolong the conflict and impose financial burdens on taxpayers without changing the outcome.
Sanya Singh for TROIB News
