German Chancellor Olaf Scholz


Germany, which was evaluated as a 'weak link' of the Western alliance, has made a sharp turn to hardline policy against Russia.



According to Bloomberg, the Associated Press, and Reuters, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a special speech on the 27th (local time), arguing hard against Russia, which had invaded Ukraine.



"Russian President Vladimir Putin created a new reality with the invasion of Ukraine on the 24th," Scholz said.



German Foreign Minister Anna Lena Baerbok also announced on the same day that it would reverse its foreign policy toward Russia.



"Since diplomatic relations with Russia have failed, it is time for Germany to change its arms supply policy to Ukraine 180 degrees," Baerbok said.



"President Putin's deceptive game is a long game, so our sanctions should be like that," he said.



In particular, Minister Baer Bok criticized Germany and its Western allies as they tried to resolve the conflict with Russia through diplomacy until the last minute, but she said, "The Kremlin lied to us and turned down all efforts."



This suggests that efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine through diplomacy have failed and Russia has turned to hard-line sanctions when Russia does not break its aggression policy.



Prime Minister Scholz said on the same day that there was no other answer to Putin's attack on the delivery of weapons to Ukraine.



He said that he had no choice but to overturn Germany's existing principle of refraining from exporting arms to conflict zones.



Germany, which has been evaluated as a 'weak link' on the NATO front for its passive response to the Ukraine crisis, changed its attitude abruptly when the invasion of Ukraine became a reality.



The previous day, the German government announced that it would supply 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger, a portable infrared-guided surface-to-air missile for shooting down military aircraft to Ukraine.



Prime Minister Scholz confirmed his intention to actively support Ukraine, tweeting: "It is our mission to do our best to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian forces."



Until then, the only weapon Germany had sent to the Ukrainian army was 5,000 military helmets.



Ukraine has asked Germany to supply weapons such as anti-aircraft defense systems, but Germany has put a hold on the supply of lethal weapons to conflict zones because it requires strict procedures.



Unlike the United States, Britain, and Poland, Germany refused any military support when Ukraine was threatened by a Russian invasion, and even prevented the transfer of German weapons to Ukraine.



A change was also detected in the stance of sanctions against Russia, which had provoked the resentment of Western allies in the meantime.



Germany announced on the 21st that after President Putin approved the independence of self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine, the next day Germany announced that it would abolish the 'Notre Stream-2' gas pipeline project.



Germany, Russia's second largest trading partner and highly dependent on energy, has been criticized for being passive in responding to sanctions because of its economic interests.



Prime Minister Scholz also stressed the need to reduce energy dependence on Russia.



He also announced a plan to strengthen German defense, saying, "We have entered a new era with the invasion of Ukraine."



Chancellor Scholz has announced that he will set up a special federal military fund this year to invest 100 billion euros (about 135 trillion won) in the modernization of the German military.



"From now on, Germany will increase its defense spending to at least 2% of its gross domestic product (GDP) every year from now on," he said.



"It is clear that much more investment in German security is necessary to protect our freedom and democracy," Scholz said.



According to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) statistics, it was estimated that Germany spent 1.53% of GDP on defense last year.



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