Germany's 200-bln-eur 'defense shield' proportionate - FinMin

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said he has defended his country's 200-billion-euro "defense shield" to the European Commission and his fellow EU ministers, saying there had been a misunderstanding in Brussels about the package and its run time.

"The European Commission has not yet fully realized that it is not about a measure for the year 2022, but that it also covers the period 2023 and 2024," which is why current proposals based on the program are not justified by decisions Germany has made, Lindner said in Luxembourg ahead of a meeting of European Union finance ministers on Tuesday.

"Our package is not disproportionate, in fact it is proportionate if you compare the size and vulnerability of the German economy," he added.