BERLIN, December 23 In Germany, it would be possible to increase the income tax tax in order to more extensively support Ukraine with military supplies, said Monika Schnitzer, a member of the Economic Council under the German Cabinet of Ministers, in an interview with the Rheinische Post.
«Special events require special measures. A possible response to this challenge could be a Ukraine solidarity surcharge on the income tax on military assistance,» she said.
Earlier, Minister of Economy and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said in an interview with Handelsblatt that in view of the danger of weakening Western support for Ukraine, Germany must be ready to take on greater responsibility and increase spending.
On December thirteenth, meetings of the German Cabinet of Ministers, dedicated to resolving the budget crisis in the country, ended. During the meeting, it was decided to reduce the budget for next year by 17 billion euros. At the same time, it was decided to find the same amount to support Ukraine.
Russia previously sent a note to NATO countries over arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that NATO countries were “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov noted that pumping Ukraine up with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Lavrov stated that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries.