The coalition and the opposition of Germany agree on a special defense fund of 100,000 million euros

BERLIN, May 30. (DPA/PE) -

German leaders have agreed to a special fund of 100 billion euros ($107 billion) for Germany's army as part of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The German coalition government and the conservative CDU/CSU opposition group have successfully concluded talks, representatives of both sides said Sunday night after more than three hours of negotiations in Berlin.

The special fund has been the subject of several weeks of legal wrangling. Since it will be linked to an amendment to the Basic Law, as the German constitution is known, the coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) depended on votes from the CDU/CSU.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had announced in a government statement to the Bundestag on February 27 that, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the budget would be endowed with a one-time special fund of €100 billion. for investments in Defense projects.

Likewise, more than two percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) will be invested in Defense, in accordance with the commitments of the NATO Defense alliance.

"Together we will ensure that the Bundeswehr is strengthened in the coming years with 100,000 million euros in additional investments," said a statement distributed by the Ministry of Finance in which the agreement was confirmed on Sunday.

"By doing so, NATO's so-called two percent target will be reached in an average of several years," the statement added.

Negotiators have also made it clear that the money will not be used to bolster cybersecurity, something the Greens have called for. The normal federal budget will be used for cybersecurity.

Scholz's SPD leader, Saskia Esken, has cited fluctuations in arms procurement as the reason exact meeting of NATO's two percent target each year is not possible.

"If a major piece of equipment is ordered today, it won't be delivered for another three or four years," Esken stressed in comments published in Sunday's edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "That means that possibly the sums are not so high in the first two years, and then comes a year in which a large amount is necessary," she stressed.

Government factions had already announced before Sunday's deal that meeting NATO's goal would likely not be enshrined in the Basic Law.