Tag: Russia

German auditors warn of ‘unlimited’ debt for defence

A 2000 A2 self-propelled howitzer drives on the grounds of the Weiden-Frauenricht military training area on June 27, 2024 at Bavaria, Weiden | File Photo: Armin Weigel/dpa

Germany’s Federal Court of Audit warned that a ‘signal of unlimited willingness to incur debt’ could lead prices in defence industry to soar, with incentives for industry to charge higher prices for the same services due to ‘almost unlimited availability of financial resources and increased demand.’

Europe plans rearmament without U.S.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, participates in the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on 11 March, 2025 | Photo: Christophe Licoppe/EC - Audiovisual Service/European Union

Europe appears to have accepted the prospect of acting independently of the United States, with a new rearmament program proposed by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, last week.

German Cabinet approves new military service model to boost numbers

File Photo: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (r) and Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defence, talk at the start of the German Cabinet meeting on June 12, 2024 in Berlin. Germany's Cabinet approved legislation introducing a new form of military service on November 06, according to government sources | Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Russia’s war on Ukraine has prompted Germany to revisit its defence posture, which increasingly suffered from a lack of investment since the end of the Cold War as imminent threats appeared to diminish. The legislation must now pass through Germany’s two houses of parliament. It could come into force in May of next year.

German Defence Ministry faces shortfall of €6 billion

German Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius is pictured during an interview with the German Press Agency (DPA) on November 04, 2024 in Berlin | Photo: Carsten Koall//dpa

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that the Bundeswehr needs around €58 billion ($63 billion) in 2025 to quickly close capability gaps. “As things stand, we will be allocated around €52 billion”, he said, adding, “That means we will be short of almost €6 billion next year.”

German defence chief warns of Russian military build-up

Carsten Breuer, Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, speaks at the opening of the Bundeswehr Day at the Holzdorf site at Saxony-Anhalt, Holzdorf-Schoenewalde on June 08, 2024. Breuer has said he sees a growing danger in Russia's military build-up | Photo: Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa

“The Russian army increases its number of tanks by 1,000 to 1,500 additional units every year. The five largest European NATO member states together have just half of that in their inventory,” said Germany’s chief of defence Carsten Breuer.