German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declares major changes to Defence Policy;

Berlin: Warning that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has started a new era, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced significant changes to the German defence policy. These include a fresh provision to take the defence expenditure to more than 2% of the German GDP. There is also an assurance to supply weapons stocks to countries like Ukraine. Chancellor Scholz also said that Germany would be purchasing ‘F-35’ the super-advanced fighter jets from the United States. All these developments point to an aggressive change in the German defence policies.

A special session of the German Bundestag (Parliament) was convened to discuss the Ukraine issue. During the session, Chancellor Scholz denounced the Russian invasion in strong words. Chancellor Scholz also informed regarding the change in the defence policy. The German Chancellor criticised ‘The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a beginning of a new era. Russian President Putin is trying to wipe out a country from the world map with this invasion of Ukraine. The framework of European security is being destroyed.

Moreover, Scholz added that there is a need for additional defence expenditure to safeguard the sovereignty and democracy of Germany in these challenging times. The new defence policy has the provisions for this. According to this, the ‘German Defence Fund’ will be created in 2022 and a provision worth a whopping €100 billion fund would be made. The fund will be spent modernising the German defence forces and procuring new weapons and defence systems.

At the same time, Scholz announced that a major increase is proposed in the German defence expenditure will be more than 2% of the German GDP. Germany had made a defence provision of €53 billion in 2021. It was 1.53% of the German GDP. Therefore, there were clear indications of a massive increase in the German defence expenditure.

The policy regarding non-supply of weapons to countries from the warm regions has been changed. Moreover, this will begin in Ukraine. Scholz announced that Ukraine would be supplied with Stinger missiles and other defence systems. Chancellor Scholz justified the supply of weapons to Ukraine, saying that assisting Ukraine in these difficult times is the need of the hour. He also indicated during the special session of the German Bundestag that Germany would impose harsher sanctions against Russia in the coming times.

Scholz informed that Germany would be purchasing super-advanced F-35 fighter jets from the United States. The German air force was using fighter jets developed in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. Therefore, purchasing US-made fighter jets also is a major shift in the German defence policy.