Germany is considered the second largest supporter of Ukraine after the United States. But in terms of economic strength, the Federal Republic ranks far behind. Small countries in the European Union give much more.
It has been two years since Olaf Scholz used a big word in a special session of the Bundestag: “turning point.” The Chancellor reacted to the Russian attack on Ukraine three days ago. The world after it is no longer like the world before it. „We now have five orders of action. First, we must support Ukraine in this desperate situation,” he added. Schulz confirmed on February 27, 2022. But how much support has Germany actually provided since then?
41 billion euros from Germany
On the part of the federal government “This is how Germany supports UkraineIt can be read: “Since the Russian attack on February 24, 2022, Germany has already provided aid worth a total of around 32 billion euros to Ukraine – as humanitarian support, direct payments or in the form of weapons.”
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) has come up with an even higher figure, which is “Ukraine Support TrackerAccordingly, around €41 billion in support payments flowed between January 24, 2022 and January 15, 2024. In addition to bilateral aid amounting to around €22 billion, Germany's share of EU support payments amounted to around €19 billion.
It is clear that the United States is ahead in absolute terms
The IfW Ukraine Support Tracker records all publicly known military, financial and humanitarian aid promised to Ukraine by the governments of 41 Western countries. Not only weapons and military equipment, but also loans and aid, as well as food and medicine.
In terms of absolute numbers, Germany is indisputably in second place – behind the United States, which has so far provided nearly €69 billion in support. But things look different if you measure the support payments made against the country's economic strength.
Estonia is the largest supporter – measured by GDP
In terms of their share of GDP, neither the United States nor Germany are among Ukraine's biggest supporters, as is clear from figures from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Even a small Baltic country comes out on top: Estonia's aid to Ukraine amounts to about 3.6% of GDP. If you add the country's share of European Union aid, this number rises to 4.1% of GDP. This makes Estonia – relative to its GDP – the largest supporter of Ukraine.
It is followed by Denmark, Lithuania, Norway and Latvia elsewhere. From this perspective, Germany ranks only tenth with 1.1 percent. In terms of national economic output, the United States ranks only 32nd.
Germany pays 21 billion euros to refugees
But this approach can also be shortened, as the expenses incurred by refugees in the country in question are not taken into account. According to data from the Ukraine Support Tracker, from January 24, 2022 to January 15, 2024, Germany spent €21.4 billion, more than any other country, on people fleeing Ukraine.
However, Poland comes in second place with €20.7 billion. If this percentage is measured as a percentage of GDP, it amounts to 3.3% for Poland, but it does not exceed 0.6% for Germany. In terms of its economic production, the Federal Republic spends as much on Ukrainian refugees as Cyprus.
If you include spending on refugees plus bilateral aid and EU aid in support payments, you get a new order in terms of economic power: Estonia is still in the lead, with 4.7% of GDP. However, Poland now comes in second place with 4.6 percent. But Germany fell to eleventh place.
During a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump verbally attacked his political rival Kamala Harris. „She’s really destructive,” Trump said at his Florida home, with Netanyahu in attendance. „I think her comments were disrespectful. She wasn’t very nice about Israel.”
Earlier, after meeting with Netanyahu, Vice President Harris said: “We cannot turn a blind eye to these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to be callous in the face of suffering, and I will not remain silent.”
Trump’s first meeting with Netanyahu in more than three years
trump card He said, referring to Harris, that he did not know “how a Jewish person could vote for her, but that is up to each individual.” He found their behavior “definitely disrespectful to Israel.”
The Republican also assured the Israeli prime minister of his full solidarity, the campaign team said. “If we don’t win, there will be major wars in the Middle East and maybe World War III,” Trump said. It was the first time Netanyahu and Trump had met in person since he left the White House more than three years ago.
Netanyahu praises Trump’s policy toward Israel
Netanyahu praised Trump’s qualities in the meeting Israel She added that during his term from 2017 to 2021, Netanyahu praised Trump’s mediation in the so-called Abraham Accords, the transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem, the recognition of sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the killing of Iranian General Soleimani, and the termination of the nuclear agreement with Israel. Iran and Trump’s war against anti-Semitism.
Netanyahu is currently on a multi-day visit to the United States. On Wednesday, he defended Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip in a speech to the US Congress. He also reportedly discussed artificial intelligence and its impact on the economy with tech billionaire Elon Musk on the sidelines of the speech. He was welcomed on Thursday by US President Biden and Kamala Harris They were welcomed to the White House for separate talks.
hoping to reach a hostage deal
Asked by a reporter whether his visit to the United States showed progress toward a hostage deal, Netanyahu replied: „I hope so. But I think time will tell. We are certainly keen to reach (an agreement). We are working on it.”
Netanyahu added that Israel would send a team of negotiators to Rome, likely early next week. Regarding the status of negotiations over the release of the hostages still held by Hamas, he said that, in his view, there had been some movement in the talks “because of the military pressure we have applied.” “I hope there will be enough movement to complete the deal,” Netanyahu said.
In Israel, the prime minister is increasingly accused of delaying the conflict in order to avoid the collapse of his far-right government coalition, which is expected if the war ends.
During a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump verbally attacked his political rival Kamala Harris. „She’s really destructive,” Trump said at his Florida home, with Netanyahu in attendance. „I think her comments were disrespectful. She wasn’t very nice about Israel.”
Earlier, after meeting with Netanyahu, Vice President Harris said: “We cannot turn a blind eye to these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to be callous in the face of suffering, and I will not remain silent.”
In an interview, Reinhold Messner, 79, settled scores with his sons. Now the son of the mountaineering star is coming forward – and revealing new details.
Updated as of July 25, 2024 at 2:45 PM: Reinhold Messner caused a stir in an interview last weekend. The mountaineering legend described, among other things, the early inheritance of his sons as “one of my biggest mistakes”. The 79-year-old revealed that “the question of who got more was the main focus”. But now son Simon responds: “It’s unfortunate and sad.” Bavaria Radio His father’s accusations.
He himself greatly values the inheritance he received from his father: two mountain farms in Vinschgau in South Tyrol, and he always passed this on to his father. „That’s why I fundamentally don’t understand this accusation,” says Simon Messner. He sees no similarity between the inheritance and the break in the family, which happened gradually and had other causes, says Simon Messner. Father Reinhold did not want to comment further on this topic.
After inheritance dispute: Mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner 'on the brink’
First report dated July 21, 2024: Bolzano – Mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner turns 80 in September. But things don’t always go well for Messner, especially in his old age – he recently drew attention to himself with a thoughtful Instagram post in which he wrote: “I’m coming to the end.” Now the 79-year-old is talking about the circumstances in his family. In an interview with Pharmacy Journal Miser gives insight into his relationship with his children, which was strained by his decision to leave the majority of his assets to them in his will before his death.
Reinhold Messner talks about the biggest mistake of his life – the 79-year-old was 'on the edge of the abyss’
“One of my biggest mistakes was leaving them the majority of my assets in my will before I died,” Meisner says of his children. “They don’t understand that everything was a gift and don’t appreciate my generosity.” This is very disappointing to him, especially compared to his childhood, when there was nothing to bequeath but respect and gratitude.
Meisner explains to Pharmacy Journal “We were a big family, with many brothers and sisters, and we took care of our parents when they were old. For me, it was the opposite. The moment I distributed my material inheritance to my children and my wife, the family collapsed. The question of who got more was at the forefront and I was on the edge of the abyss when I was 75 years old.
Reinhold Messner
September 17, 1944
Brixen (South Tyrol)
Member of the European Parliament (1999-2004)
Climbing Mount Everest Without Oxygen
Asked if he would like to improve the relationship again, Meisner replies, “What parent wouldn’t want to?” He stresses that each person should find their own path rather than following in the footsteps of others: “Everyone should do it. Follow their own path, go their own way.”
’I’m Coming to the End’: Reinhold Messner’s Fans Worried
Recently, Messner caused concern among fans with his Instagram post: “I’ve reached the end, this is reality,” the mountaineering legend used the words to say. Messner’s post caused great concern among some fans.
“I leave with a clear conscience and the knowledge that I was a good person, did my best, was a loving father, a good friend, and a good brother,” Meisner continued in his post. “Now it’s time to live my last dreams and love the people who mean the most to me, but most importantly, gratitude.”
Many years after his climbing career ended, Messner remains one of the world’s most famous mountaineers. He was the first person ever to climb all eight-thousanders. However, in his native South Tyrol, a different Messner has been in the spotlight in recent months: his younger brother Hubert Messner, 71, a former pediatrician who also took part in numerous expeditions, recently became health minister for the northern Italian region.
Recently, there was also a fuss about the Guinness World Records being stripped of Reinhold Messner’s record. The mountaineer spoke of „conspiracy theories”.
’Symbolic’ Consequences – EU Moves Ministerial Meeting From Budapest to Brussels
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Hungary, led by Viktor Orban, has held the presidency of the Council of the European Union since July 1.
Source: German Press Agency/Alexander Zemlianichenko
There is still a lot of anger in Brussels about Viktor Orbán’s “peace mission”: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wants to ban Budapest from the next meeting of foreign and defence ministers. But the shot could backfire.
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DrThe European Commission is drawing further conclusions from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s unilateral actions: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that upcoming meetings of foreign and defence ministers will be held in Brussels – not in the Hungarian capital Budapest.
Borrell said after a ministerial meeting in Brussels that he had taken the decision after a majority of ministers spoke out against Hungary and wanted to impose „symbolic” consequences on the country. According to Borrell, 25 foreign ministers condemned Orban’s behaviour. The Hungarian received support only from Slovakia.
But Borrell has also been heavily criticised for his uncoordinated move to cancel the Budapest meeting. “Spain does not support a boycott in the EU,” Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said. Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel called the idea of a boycott “nonsense”. Bettel said he would rather go to Budapest and express his opinion to the Hungarians. Germany, France and the Netherlands have also voiced opposition to Borrell’s proposal.
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In Brussels, it cannot be ruled out that Borrell’s boycott campaign will ultimately backfire: several ministers are now said to be staying away from the Brussels meeting on 28-30 August in protest.
Read also
Hungary has held the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union since the beginning of July. Immediately after that visit began, Orbán made a surprise visit to Ukraine, Russia and China on a self-proclaimed “peace mission.” He also met with US presidential candidate Donald Trump. His meetings have drawn criticism from EU member states.
The European Commission had already reached its first conclusions a week ago. A Council spokesman had said that no commissioners would be sent to informal meetings of the Hungarian Council Presidency, but only senior officials. The decision was taken by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. There will also be no customary inaugural visit by the Commission to the new Council Presidency.
