German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said today that his country will continue support for Ukraine as a bulwark against Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions, but a big increase in spending is needed. He said at a party conference in Berlin that Germany supports Ukraine as it is the first line of defense against Putin. "Putin's goal is not Ukraine. Putin's goal is to be able to exercise power over us. And he should never succeed in that," said Lindner of the FDP, a partner in the ruling coalition led by Social Democrat Olaf Scholz. .

To that end, Germany must improve its ability to defend itself and its allies, he continued. The 100 billion euro special fund created to update the German military after Russia invades its neighbor in 2022 will be used within a few years, Lindner said. According to him, Putin wants not only to wipe Ukraine off the map, but to divide Europe and NATO and ensure that the US withdraws from Europe. Lindner said that the German armed forces must be improved by regular funds, but this will not be possible with a limited budget and increasing debt. "The task before us to protect peace and freedom in Germany, Europe and the world is not limited to a few quarters or years. It is potentially a task for decades and generations. And that is why it cannot be done on credit. We we need our economic strength for that," Lindner said.