Due to a lack of available supplies, Berlin is now considering deliveries directly from the arms industry.
Germany has nearly exhausted its ability to supply Ukraine with equipment from its army’s reserves, the Bundeswehr, but is working on supplies made directly by the arms industry, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Saturday.
“For deliveries from Bundeswehr stocks, I must honestly say that we have reached a limit in the meantime,” the minister told the Augsburger Allgemeine.
The German army must maintain its action capability and be able to “guarantee the defense of the country and of the Atlantic Alliance (NATO)”, she added.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t do more for Ukraine, so we clarified what the industry can offer directly” in Kiev, Lambrecht continues. Berlin “constantly consults with Ukraine on this issue”.
Until the Russian invasion on February 24, Germany was, for historical reasons, reluctant to send weapons to Ukraine, which it demanded in the face of mounting tensions with Moscow. Chancellor Olaf Scholz then made a U-turn and Ukrainian forces have already received anti-tank weapons, rocket launchers and surface-to-air missiles from Berlin.
Debate over shipping weapons
But the conflict in Ukraine has also cast a hard light on the “alarming” state of the Bundeswehr, said Bundestag Defense Commissioner Eva Högl, while one of the top men spoke of an army “more or less dry”.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy Dmytro Kouleba on Thursday urged NATO members to quickly provide him with more military equipment, including heavy weapons.
“It is clear that Germany can do more given its reserves,” he said.
In particular, the Ukrainians asked Berlin to supply a hundred armored vehicles of the Marder type. The Bundeswehr has manufactured such vehicles by the German company Rheinmetall.
Rheinmetall could quickly prepare about 20 armored vehicles, currently under maintenance, for the Ukrainian armed forces, company chief Armin Papperger told Spiegel this week.
According to German media, the issue of such a delivery is being discussed by government security experts as it raises questions about technical feasibility, logistical delays and keeping Germany’s arsenal up to date.
Germany is set to significantly increase its military spending this year and create an exceptional fund of 100 billion euros to modernize its military with the aim of reaching NATO’s recommended 2% of GDP.
