WISMAR (dpa-AFX) - In the dispute over the financing of further German Ukraine aid in the billions, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has called for a swift decision. It would be good if the decision could be made before the federal election on February 23. "Actually, we need it by the end of the month, because the budget committee will then meet for the last time to decide on it," Pistorius emphasized during a visit to the shipyard of the submarine builder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in Wismar.

He said that he was hearing from all democratic parties that they were willing to work together on solutions. Now it was a matter of finding a way to achieve consensus.

The dispute over the financing of additional aid in the amount of three billion euros was also openly discussed between Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) on Friday. Scholz reiterated that he would only agree to additional arms deliveries to Ukraine in this amount if the debt brake were suspended. Scholz rejected Baerbock's indirect accusation that he was abusing the issue for electioneering purposes./hr/DP/mis