The war in Ukraine determines the budget deliberations in the Bundestag. It is also about further German arms deliveries. Now more bazookas are to be provided.
The Ministry of Defense wants to supply Ukraine with 2,000 more rocket-propelled grenades from Bundeswehr stocks for defense against Russia.
According to information from the German Press Agency, the department of Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) requested this from the Federal Security Council. The Ukrainian armed forces have already received 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 “Stinger” surface-to-air missiles from Bundeswehr stocks, as well as 500 of around 2,700 Strela missiles from old stocks.
According to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Germany is currently also supplying other Strela anti-aircraft missiles. “The other Strela deliveries are on the way,” said the Green politician in the Bundestag. Nonetheless, the Union has accused the traffic light coalition of not providing sufficient help to Ukraine in its defensive struggle. “The Ukrainians want to oppose and resist here. We shouldn’t leave them alone,” warned the CDU European politician Gunther Krichbaum.
CDU politicians: the federal government lacks a sense of reality
Baerbock now emphasized: “We are one of the largest arms suppliers in this situation. It’s not something we’re proud of, it’s what we need to do now to help Ukraine.” Krichbaum accused the federal government of being too hesitant to deliver weapons. If the Bundeswehr should not have anything left in its stocks to sell, the German armaments industry could supply new weapons. The CDU politician accused the federal government of a lack of realism. “And this absence costs lives, every day, every hour.”
The Foreign Minister announced that the first flight from Moldova to Germany would take off on Friday or Saturday to support neighboring Ukrainian countries in caring for refugees. Rhineland-Palatinate was the first federal state to agree to accommodate refugees from Moldova. The draft budget for the Federal Foreign Office envisages spending of almost 6.6 billion euros, after 6.3 billion in the previous year. More than half ($3.56 billion) is earmarked for securing peace and stability.
MP Victor Perli from the left criticized that drastic cuts were planned in the budget for foreign cultural and educational work. At the Goethe-Institut, for example, 19 million euros should be saved. “You can’t seriously send the message that foreign policy now means: more money for weapons, but less money for culture and conflict prevention.”
Baerbock defended her approach to a feminist foreign policy against criticism from the Union. A feminist perspective is part of a security policy for the 21st century. “It’s not gibberish, it’s up to date.”
Source: Stern
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