Sanctions against Russia
Acting jointly within the EU and with international partners, Germany has adopted sanctions in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The measures aim in particular to severely weaken the Russian economy and the country’s political elite, and are already having an impact. In close coordination with its G7 partners, the EU has so far put ten far-reaching sanctions packages into force.
You can find an overview of the adopted sanctions on the Federal Government’s website.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has compiled a list of FAQs on the sanctions against Russia (in German).
To ensure that sanctions are implemented as effectively as possible, the German government adopted two Sanctions Enforcement Acts in 2022. The first Sanctions Enforcement Act put key short-term measures in place, and the second Sanctions Enforcement Act introduced major structural improvements. More information on sanctions enforcement is available here.
Bilateral support for Ukraine
Across all government departments, Germany is providing a wide range of bilateral assistance both to Ukraine as well as to Ukrainian people in Germany. A significant share (€6.24 billion) of this assistance comes from the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Financial assistance for Ukraine
The Federal Ministry of Finance issued a €1 billion bilateral grant to Ukraine via a special IMF fund.
In addition, the Finance Ministry is providing one-time payments to approximately 10,000 Holocaust survivors living in Ukraine. These payments, which are being disbursed via the Jewish Claims Conference, total roughly €12 million.
Furthermore, German customs authorities are helping their Ukrainian colleagues by providing them with official vehicles and uniforms free of charge.
Services for Ukrainians in Germany
The Finance Ministry is providing the Länder and local authorities with funding to help cover the costs of accommodation and assistance for refugees from Ukraine. This support totalled €2.0 billion in 2022 and is expected to amount to €1.5 billion in 2023. In addition, €1.5 billion was made available to the Länder and local authorities in 2022 to help cover extra costs associated with refugees in general. Länder that served as hubs for the allocation of refugees – and therefore incurred higher costs – received additional compensation totalling roughly €144 million in 2022.
In addition, the Federal Institute for Real Estate (BImA) has made federal properties available for the purpose of housing refugees from Ukraine. At present, 333 federal properties (or sections thereof) with the cumulative capacity to house over 69,000 refugees have been placed at the disposal of the Länder and local authorities.
The Federal Government’s website provides an overview (in German) of all the bilateral assistance measures that Germany has taken since the start of the war.
Multilateral financial assistance for Ukraine
In addition to bilateral measures, Germany also assists Ukraine within the framework of the EU, the G7 and international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund.
Since the war broke out, the G7 (including the EU) and international financial institutions have been working together to provide direct, short-term budgetary assistance to Ukraine in order to ensure that the country has the financial means to continue functioning effectively. Under Germany’s G7 presidency, over $30bn in international budgetary assistance for Ukraine was mobilised in 2022. G7 budgetary assistance for Ukraine has been increased to $39bn in 2023.
Debt service suspension for Ukraine
Germany has joined other official bilateral creditors and the government of Ukraine in adopting a Memorandum of Understanding to provide coordinated debt service suspension for Ukraine. Under this agreement, Ukraine’s payment obligations will be suspended until the end of 2023. On 24 March 2023, the Group of Creditors extended the existing debt service suspension until 2027. In addition, the Group will carry out a comprehensive debt restructuring in order to restore Ukraine’s debt sustainability. These steps are preconditions for an IMF programme, which Germany is advocating.
Key information at a glance
Current information on the situation in Ukraine and on security
- germany4ukraine.de is the German government’s central online portal for refugees from Ukraine. This website offers important information from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to help Ukrainian refugees find their bearings in Germany.
- The German government also provides information on recent developments in the war (in German), security and defence measures (in German), and military support for Ukraine.
- The Federal Foreign Office website provides information about the current situation in Ukraine (in German).
Working in Germany
- The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has put together a comprehensive list of FAQs on working and social benefits in Germany.
- The Federal Employment Agency’s website offers information on advisory services and further assistance for refugees.
- The website Faire Integration has information for refugees who have already applied for asylum about their rights as workers in Germany. Here is an overview of advice centres. The advice services are free of charge and are also available in Ukrainian and Russian in some places.
How can I help?
- Many of us have a strong desire to support people in Ukraine and refugees from Ukraine. This overview by the Federal Government (in German) shows what you can do to help.
- If you would like to make a donation to help people in Ukraine and refugees from Ukraine, you can give money to Germany’s relief coalition Aktion Deutschland Hilft or the disaster relief alliance Aktionsbündnis Katastrophenhilfe, among other charities.
- Answers to common questions about tax measures to support people harmed by the war in Ukraine are available here (in German).
Countering disinformation
- The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community provides answers to key questions about disinformation in connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
