Politicians are also advocating for more air defense aid in a joint letter to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz written by representatives of the Green Party. Specifically, they are dissatisfied with the small increase in the military budget earmarked for Ukraine, from €7.1B to €8.3B. In response to heightened Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians, the Greens are demanding a larger amount be allocated. The German budget plan from 2026 to 2029 allocates fixed funding for Ukrainian aid at €8.5B, while the overall German defense budget is set to double.
Germany is also exploring the possibility of transferring additional Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine, despite a wait time of about 4-5 years for resupply. Berlin might order extra batteries to be delivered after 2029 and exchange one or two batteries from the ones they’ll receive in 2026-2028, under existing contracts worth $2.4B, to help meet Ukraine’s urgent air defense needs without waiting for the missile systems to be produced.
Notably, on July 6 the presidents of Lithuania and Germany expressed support for Ukraine and called for increased pressure on Russia.