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BERLIN — Germany on Monday backtracked on a promise to quickly increase defense spending to at least 2 percent of its economic output — flouting an important commitment made days after Russia invaded Ukraine to become a more serious military power.
Berlin also sought to downplay internal warnings of delays in procuring new fighter jets for flagships.
During a government press conference, chief spokesman Steffen Hebestreit dampened expectations of German defense spending and told journalists that the 2 percent target would not only be missed this year, but will probably also be missed next year: “It is still unclear whether that is the case [goal] achieved,” said Hebestreit, adding that his “cautious expectation” is that Germany will reach the goal in this legislative period, which ends in 2025.
The spokesman’s comments come amid growing criticism of the state of Germany’s military capabilities, nine months after Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a turning point in German defense and security policy. Last week, Defense Secretary Christine Lambrecht came under heavy fire from within her own governing coalition after it was revealed that she was not ordering sufficient supplies of reserve ammunition despite long-known shortages.
Potential delays in the German Air Force’s flagship procurement of 35 American F-35 fighter jets are fueling further tension. Lambrecht’s ministry last week acknowledged in a confidential letter to lawmakers seen by POLITICO that the purchase of the high-tech stealth jets, the first eight of which are due to be delivered in 2026, could be jeopardized by “delays” and incidental costs. “
The MoD letter said the goal of having the first F-35 operational by 2026 was “very ambitious,” citing necessary construction work at an air force base and delays in implementing necessary bureaucratic procedures such as permission to fly.
A Defense Department spokesman tried to downplay those warnings, telling reporters at the press conference that “the project is clearly on the right track.”
For the German government, delays in defense spending threaten to become an increasing problem for its image and credibility at a time when Berlin is trying to play a bigger role in ensuring defense and security at European and international levels.
The 2 percent pledge was a key promise of Scholz’s turning point speech to the German Bundestag in February, just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in which the chancellor said, “From now on, we’ll be getting bigger every year.” than 2 percent invest gross domestic product invest in our defense.”
That commitment, which is consistent with what all members of the NATO military alliance agreed to in 2014, Scholz reiterated in an op-ed in Foreign Affairs Monday — though he no longer said the commitment would be maintained “from now on.”
It had already become apparent last month that Germany will probably miss its 2 percent target in 2023, as the regular defense budget of around 50 billion euros will shrink slightly by around 300 million euros. Only a comparatively small first tranche of a massive €100 billion military build-up special fund is expected to be disbursed.
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
However, Hebestreit’s proposal to postpone reaching the 2 percent target to 2025 marks a further backtrack by the government from Scholz’s original announcement. The spokesman argued that lengthy procurement processes and supply bottlenecks in the defense industry were responsible for the delays.
“The Chancellor and this government are determined to come as close as possible to the 2 percent target with our possibilities,” said Hebestreit, adding: “We are making great efforts.”
Despite the procurement delays, Scholz is also satisfied with the work of his defense minister, he said.