Berlin counts billions spent at home as Ukraine aid – study

Only €41.7 billion of the €100 billion reported by the German government actually went to Kiev, according to the Kiel Institute Germany has counted billions of euros spent at home as aid to Ukraine, overstating the amount that actually reached Kiev, according to a study published on Thursday by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.Berlin has reported providing or earmarking €100 billion ($112 billion) in support since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. However, the institute found that only €41.7 billion qualified as actual bilateral aid, while €35.9 billion was spent in Germany and another €22 billion consisted of future military commitments.”The €100 billion figure is misleading and wrongly labeled as ‘bilateral aid to Ukraine’,” said Christoph Trebesch, head of the institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker. He nevertheless described Germany as Europe’s largest donor to Kiev.Of the €43.3 billion Berlin classified as civilian assistance, roughly 80% remained in Germany. The bulk covered benefits and accommodation for Ukrainian refugees, while €1.3 billion went toward export and investment guarantees for German companies operating in Ukraine. Only €7.4 billion in civilia...