During the Post-Cold War, Germany steadily reduced its size from about 500,000 at the time of the 1990 reunification to just 200,000. Its military spending is notorious for decades of caution, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, until a sudden change in Berlin’s approach.
A few days after the start of the full-scale war, Scholz announced a € 100 billion fund to strengthen Germany’s military defenses and offset decades of chronic funding shortages. did.
He also promised to reach NATO’s goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense and to increase its ready-to-use troops from the current 40,000 to more than 300,000.
This followed long-standing criticism from close allies that the Bundeswehr was insufficient to contribute adequately to the alliance.
In an interview on public television ARD after the G7 groups of the world’s wealthiest countries met in Bayern, the Prime Minister said Germany, along with United Stard, “certainly made the greatest contribution” to the North Atlantic Alliance. rice field.
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“Europe’s largest conventional army is being built within NATO’s framework, which is important to NATO’s overall defense capabilities,” he said.
At the G7 Summit, Mr. Schortz discussed the crisis in Ukraine, especially important issues, with leaders from the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union from Sunday to Tuesday.
The leader of the Social Democratic Party, which hosts the summit, emphasized the need for G7 countries to “cooperate and support Ukrainians to protect the country.”
He admitted that he was “concerned about the crisis that all G7 countries are currently facing,” but in a more hopeful tone, “I gave a very clear signal of unity and determination. I am very, very, very confident that I will succeed in sending it. ” Action from this summit. “
From the Alps, Mr. Scholz and his counterparts traveled to Madrid, where the NATO summit is taking place from Tuesday to Thursday.
Upon arriving on the second day of the talks on Wednesday, the Prime Minister told reporters that the allies would continue to supply Kieu with weapons in the war with Moscow as long as necessary.
He states: “Not only the countries gathered here, but many other countries also protect themselves by providing financial means, humanitarian aid, as well as the weapons that Ukraine urgently needs. I am contributing so that I can do it.
“The message is: As long as Ukraine needs to be able to defend itself, we will continue to do this and do it intensively.”
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His remarks followed Berlin’s first delivery of heavy weapons since the start of the conflict four months ago, when self-propelled howitzers were shipped to Ukraine earlier this month.
In May, the German government vowed to supply seven self-propelled howitzers to a war-torn country, adding to the five such artillery systems the Netherlands had already promised.
Transport is not enough to meet Ukraine’s needs — Kieu previously stated that 1,000 howitzers, 500 tanks and 1,000 drones would be needed to repel Russian troops — Germany’s contribution was praised. I did.
One of the most powerful artillery weapons in stock in the German Army, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 can attack targets at a distance of 40 km (25 miles).
Other countries supplying Ukraine with self-propelled howitzers and howitzers include the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Norway and Poland.
President Volodymyr Zelensky told NATO leaders that Ukraine needs modern weapons and more financial assistance in the fight.
Speaking via the video link, he said: “We need to defeat the advantages of Russian cannons … we need a much more modern system, modern cannons.”
Zelensky added that financial support is “as important as weapons support.”
Additional report by Maria Ortega