Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed that the collapse of his cabinet was due to the issue of financing Kiev. He stated this in an interview with the newspaper Die Zeit.
"I have completed the activities of the previous government because no agreement was reached on about € 15 billion to finance additional measures for Ukraine and Ukrainians in Germany," Scholz said.
Scholz was Chancellor of Germany from December 2021 to May 2025. In November 2024, Scholz announced the dismissal of Finance Minister and leader of the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP) Christian Lindner and his intention to appeal to the Bundestag in January with a request for a vote of confidence.
The collapse of the ruling coalition was preceded by disputes about the coordination of the country's budget for 2025. Speaking about Linder's dismissal, Scholz stressed that he had offered to strengthen support for Ukraine, but Lindner demonstrated passivity regarding the implementation of this initiative. Scholz also said that he was not ready to finance Ukraine and invest in the country's defense "at the expense of social cohesion, pensions and healthcare."
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