Halting Support for Ukraine Will Lead to an Increase in War Crimes, German Foreign Minister Says

Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, defended Western military aid to Ukraine and warned of the consequences if support for Kyiv’s defense against Russian aggression were to decrease. Baerbock made these remarks during her address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Baerbock emphasized that ending arms deliveries to Ukraine would not bring peace but would instead exacerbate the situation. “If Russia stops its attack, the war will end. If Ukraine stops defending itself, it will be the end of Ukraine,” she stated, underscoring the principles of the UN Charter and calling for reform of the Security Council.

She further warned that reducing support for Ukraine would lead to a rise in war crimes. “If President Putin refuses to negotiate, halting our support will leave Ukrainian hospitals and children without protection. This will mean more war crimes, not fewer, and possibly in other countries as well,” Baerbock added.

In recent months, there has been ongoing debate in Germany regarding the future of military assistance to Ukraine. In August, reports surfaced that Chancellor Olaf Scholz had ordered a freeze on new funding requests for Ukraine. However, Germany has already committed around €8 billion in military aid for 2024, and the 2025 budget, set at €4 billion, has been fully allocated.

Despite this, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed hope in September that the government would find additional resources to continue providing arms to Ukraine throughout 2024. On September 26, Germany announced an additional €400 million in military support for Ukraine, including air defense systems, tanks, drones, ammunition, and spare parts. The government also committed €170 million for the immediate recovery of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.