Scholz outlined the conditions under which he would stop blocking the allocation of 3 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine.

The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and other lawmakers have criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his refusal to provide further military assistance to Kyiv.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing backlash from legislators across the political spectrum – including from his own foreign minister – for declining to approve €3 billion in military aid for Ukraine.

The Chancellor will only agree to it if it is not funded through additional borrowing. Critics label this stance as election rhetoric.

During a national television address, the German leader stated that he would consent to the military aid package only if new debt is issued for its financing, rather than cutting social spending.

The additional funds, which will supplement the €4 billion aid to Kyiv, are already allocated in the preliminary budget for 2025, primarily aimed at financing weapons for Ukraine's air defense.

Opposition politicians and Annalena Baerbock have accused him of election campaigning.

“Germany as a whole is currently not seen as a driving force for peace policy in Europe, and frankly, that disappoints me,” Baerbock said in an interview with Politico on Friday.

“Even now, during the election campaign, some prefer a narrow perspective – or how quickly to gain a few votes in the parliamentary elections – instead of taking real responsibility for ensuring peace and freedom in Europe,” Baerbock added, without mentioning Scholz's name.

Early elections are set to take place in Germany on February 23 following the abrupt collapse of the three-party coalition in November.

Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) is in third place in the latest opinion polls with 16%, trailing the center-right alliance between CDU and CSU at 31% and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 20%.

In comments to the media on Friday, Scholz stated that he has spoken with Trump twice since the US elections in November, and he does not believe that the new administration will stop providing military assistance to Ukraine.

“Therefore, we can hope that the good cooperation between Europe and the US will continue to be successful in the future, including in supporting Ukraine,” Scholz said.