German Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht sees few additional opportunities to hand over Bundeswehr weapons to Ukraine.
“The chances of the Bundeswehr are exhausted,” Lambrecht said in Germany’s Deutschlandfunk public radio interview this week. “We are exploring what other options there are.” Accordingly, talks are now taking place in the federal government on the purchase of weapons for Ukraine.
However, if weapons are bought from German companies to be sent to Ukraine, “it is not a way that goes through the Ministry of Defense, but a route that goes through the Ministry of Economic Affairs, because then we are talking about arms exports. ”
Lambrecht raised her concern in this regard: “Of course, the Russians are also doing reconnaissance and I do not want to endanger those who carry out such transports, nor do I want to make these deliveries a target,” the Social Democrat said in the interview.
Lambrecht rejected the army inspector’s statements that the Bundeswehr was “blank” and only partially ready to defend itself: “We can guarantee the defense of the alliance and the country.” Therefore, additional soldiers would be transferred to Lithuania, Romania, or Slovakia.
From her point of view, she should now quickly ensure that equipment does not have to be collected from all over Germany and that training at the places of origin is still guaranteed.
The shortfalls will be addressed with the Bundeswehr’s special assets of more than 100 billion euros, the money being used for equipment, not rearmament.
The defense of the country and the alliance has never been questioned by the Social Democrats, Lambrecht said. “That is our main task, but we also have to be equipped accordingly.”
