Sergii Marchenko сongratulated Lars Klingbeil on his appointment as Vice Chancellor and Minister of Finance of Germany

Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko congratulated the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) Lars Klingbeil on his appointment as Vice Chancellor and Minister of Finance of Germany. The meeting between the ministers took place online on Mr. Klingbeil’s first day in office.

On the eve of the meeting, on May 6, Germany formed a new government led by Friedrich Merz.

The ministers discussed the current state of Ukraine’s economy, the impact of the full-scale war on public finances, the need for continued budget support in 2026, and prospects for further cooperation.

Both parties agreed on the importance of maintaining a structured dialogue. Ukraine and Germany share a common goal: to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine as soon as possible.

"I am grateful to Germany for its steadfast support of Ukraine, including direct budget assistance and backing of initiatives within the EU and beyond. Since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, Germany has provided the second-largest volume of international assistance. I highly value our cooperation and look forward to continuing it," said Sergii Marchenko.

The Minister also expressed his appreciation to the German side for its support in implementing the EU’s Ukraine Facility for 2024–2027, with a total volume of EUR 50 billion. He also noted Germany’s role in supporting the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine (ERA) initiative totaling USD 50 billion, of which EUR 18.1 billion (around USD 20 billion) will come from the EU.

The parties also discussed the potential future confiscation of frozen sovereign russian assets.

In turn, Lars Klingbeil assured that the Government led by Friedrich Merz will continue to provide comprehensive support to Ukraine this year and beyond.

As a reminder, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Germany is one of the largest providers of financial, military, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion — EUR 17.3 billion — making it the second-largest donor globally. Germany’s direct budget support for Ukraine has reached EUR 1.6 billion.