Germany plans additional $445 million in aid for Ukraine in 2024, AFP reports.

Despite reporting in August by the German media outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) that Berlin was not planning to approve additional aid to Kyiv this year, a German Finance Ministry document showed an additional 400 million euros (£445 million) in additional support earmarked for Ukraine, AFP reported on Sept.

19, citing the document in question. According to the document -- a letter to the parliamentary budget committee -- additional funds are needed to "fulfill the German government's support commitments to the Ukrainian armed forces." The funds are required to provide military support, such as drones and air defense equipment "without delay," to bolster Ukraine on the battlefield for the remainder of 2024.

Reuters reported in May, citing an unnamed source, that Berlin planned to up its military aid to Ukraine by another 3.8 billion euros (£4.13 billion) in 2024. However, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' request was not approved by the Finance Ministry, according to FAZ. Initially a hesitant partner, Germany has become Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S.

Berlin will provide Kyiv with around 8 billion euros (£8.8 billion) this year, but the aid will be reportedly cut by half -- to 4 billion euros (£4.4 billion) -- in 2025. Berlin had been hoping that the shortfall in assistance would be made up by Ukraine receiving £50 billion in profits from frozen Russian assets. However, Hungary has caused delays in the U.S.'s procedural involvement in the assets scheme.   In addition to budgetary concerns, "anti-war" parties that oppose aid to Ukraine on the right and left made gains in regional elections on Sept.

1, causing political complications for Germany's commitment to support Ukraine. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), as of June 2024, Germany has allocated 14.7 billion euros (£16.4 billion) in support for Ukraine.

US Ambassador Brink: 'We have some sense of contours of Zelensky's victory plan' The Kyiv Independent spoke with the U.S.

Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink on Sept.

19 on the sidelines of the National Media Talk, an annual journalism conference held in Kyiv, and supported by USAID and Internews.

The following is the transcript of the interview: The Kyiv Independent: Thank yo...