Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has called on the German government to abandon its policy of financially supporting Ukrainian refugees on its territory and divert the cash to Kiev instead. The scheme would make aid mechanisms more transparent, he argued in an interview with the public German broadcaster ARD over the weekend.
People who have fled Ukraine and moved to Germany currently receive financial assistance from both countries, Zelensky claimed in the interview, released on Monday by his administration. This needs to change, he insisted.
“It would be better if Germany supported Ukrainians by giving money to the budget of Ukraine,” the president said. He added that the government in Kiev would then distribute the funds, depending on each person’s whereabouts.