Chancellor Olaf Scholz highlighted this Friday (November 10th) the change of course made after the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in order to equip Germany with armed forces capable of protecting the country and the territory of the Atlantic Alliance (NATO) to defend the term in the long term.
“In the last 18 months, we have readjusted our military culture, the DNA of federal security policy,” said Scholz in a speech at the annual meeting of the Bundeswehr.
The global political situation “confirms the importance and necessity of this change of course,” added the Chancellor, referring to the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.
The Chancellor also thanked Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for the necessary structural reforms.
Germany is strengthening Ukraine’s war arsenal
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Berlin secures sustainable financing
“We are ensuring sustainable funding for the Bundeswehr,” he said, pointing to the 100 billion euros of additional funding announced on February 27 last year, which would allow NATO to meet the target of providing 2% of this, as an “important first step.” to reach gross domestic product (GDP) for defense spending by 2024, for the first time in more than three decades.
Scholz was referring to the government’s special fund, which was set up after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to modernize the German armed forces. The war raised questions about the Bundeswehr’s operational readiness and caused several European governments to reevaluate their defense strategies.
However, the Chancellor added, the change in times brought about by “Russian aggression” requires “a permanent change of course in the long term”.
On the other hand, Olaf Scholz emphasized the importance of closer arms cooperation in Europe for financial, operational, logistical and alliance policy reasons.
The West is divided over the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip
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