2024-04-30 22:36:01
The Defense Minister is calling for continued high investments in the Bundeswehr and makes it clear that these amounts cannot be covered through savings. He looks to Russia with concern.
According to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Russia is already producing weapons and ammunition in excess of what is needed for the war of aggression against Ukraine. It is noted how, with increasing arms spending and a war economy order, “a large part or part of what is newly produced no longer goes to the front, but ends up in the depots,” said Pistorius in the ARD program “Maischberger “.
At the same time, he warned of further military ambitions from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pistorius said: “Now you can be naive and say that he is only doing that out of caution. As a skeptical person, I would say in this case that he is doing that because, in case of doubt, he has plans or could have something.”
Russia is arming
Pistorius was asked whether he shared assessments by the Baltic republics that Russia could be ready to attack NATO territory in a few years. The SPD politician said that in the end this was a look into the crystal ball. “What the military experts and the arms experts say is that Russia is currently rearming.”
In the event of an escalation, NATO as a whole would be affected, not Germany alone. “We would then have to be able to defend ourselves, be capable of war, in order to be able to wage the war that would then be forced upon us. But that’s why we’re really stepping on the gas now, doing everything we can to equip the armed forces in Europe, in NATO, accordingly “said Pistorius.
He made it clear that he did not believe that the further expansion of the Bundeswehr beyond the 100 billion euro so-called special fund – i.e. from 2028 onwards – could be financed with savings from the regular budget. “Without security, everything is nothing,” said Pistorius.
“And at the same time, we cannot allow ourselves to carry out a social clear-cutting for armaments, for rearmament, for defense and war capability, which will ultimately drive society apart and, in the worst case, become an economic stimulus program for a party in the Bundestag that I don’t like call by name.” He was obviously making a reference to the AfD.