Berlin: According to a letter from the German treasury to the parliament that was made public on Tuesday by Der Spiegel, the Ukrainian military needs more tanks, artillery, and air defences in addition to maintenance for them due to heavy equipment losses in combat.

The parliamentary budget committee held a private meeting on Tuesday to discuss the request made in a letter from the German finance minister, Christian Lindner, to the Bundestag on Monday.

In addition to the 2.2 billion ($2.39 bn) already allocated for Ukraine, he is requesting an additional 3.2 billion euros ($3.47 billion) this year and an additional 8.8 billion ($9.54 bn) for "ongoing commitments."

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New supplies of material are needed due to the significant material losses suffered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the treasury wrote, adding that a number of contracts for the purchase and maintenance of Kiev's military's "needs-based sustainable equipment" must be completed right away.

In the letter, it is specifically stated that the Ukrainians require more air defence, tanks and other tracked armoured vehicles, as well as ammunition for tanks and artillery. The treasury added that supplying the weapons systems entails a "follow-up obligation" to provide ammunition, service, and maintenance.

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The extra costs are "objectively avoidable," according to Lindner, because "without ongoing support to Ukraine, there is a serious danger that it losing" in the conflict with Russia, "with unforeseeable consequences for peace in Europe."

Despite this, Lindner asked the lawmakers to look for unused funds in other departments, including those designated for addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Spiegel. Lindner did not want to submit a supplemental budget request for this funding.

Berlin's decision to increase aid to Kiev "does not bode well," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in response to a question regarding the Spiegel revelations on Tuesday.

According to Peskov, "current relations between Russia and Germany leave much to be desired." "Germany actively participates in arming Ukraine, increasing both its direct and indirect level of involvement in the conflict."

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By the end of 2022, the US and its allies are expected to have spent over $100 billion supporting the Ukrainian military, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Several Western officials have publicly stated that their nations are not taking sides in the conflict but that Russia "must lose" or be "strategically defeated."