Russian invasion of Ukraine puts a rocket under German defence spending
A German TPz Fuchs armoured personnel carrier 'swimming' the river wesser. (Photo: UK MoD/ Crown Copyright)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a sea-change in Germany’s approach to defence spending.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on 27 February announced a turning point for his country's defence and security policy due to ‘Putin’s war’ on Ukraine.
In a watershed moment, Scholz revealed a one-off €100 billion ($111.69 billion) investment in defence equipment for 2022 and a permanent shift to spending at least 2% of German GDP on defence.
Scholz made the extraordinary announcements during a special session of the Bundestag, arguing that Germany needed to invest more ‘in the security of our country to protect our freedom and democracy’.
He added that Berlin would stand ‘unconditionally’ by its NATO collective defence obligation, paving the
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