Against the background of the resignation of the minister: why Germany is experiencing difficulties in the field of defense

Germany has begun redeploying a number of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) to Poland, leading German media report.

Information about the beginning of the transfer of these weapons was published, in particular, in the newspaper Der Spiegel.

“The first soldiers should leave by transport from Bad Sylze (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) today.

Then, in the coming days, combat systems will also be transferred to the neighboring country.

We are talking about three installations that will protect the critical infrastructure of a NATO ally near the Ukrainian border, ”the publication says.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak agreed on the transfer of German Patriot air defense systems to Warsaw in November 2022 with his German counterpart Christina Lambrecht, who resigned on January 16, 2023.

She cited "months of media scrutiny" on her personally as the reason for her resignation, which allegedly made it impossible for proper public discussion of the role of the armed forces and German security policy.

In turn, the DPA said that Lambrecht "faced serious questions in Germany regarding her competence in the field of supplying weapons to Ukraine and huge reinvestment in the Armed Forces."

The German chancellor granted Lambrecht's resignation on the same day.

This was announced during a briefing by the representative of the German government, Christiane Hofmann, noting that Olaf Scholz promised to submit to the German President a proposal for the candidacy of a successor to the post of head of the German Defense Ministry in the near future.

Enough for two days of fighting

It is worth noting that the presence of serious problems in the German army due to Berlin's long-standing policy to reduce funding for the Bundeswehr was spoken at the beginning of December 2022 by The Times columnist Oliver Moody.

According to him, there is a shortage of weapons in all European countries, but in Germany, the difficulties associated with the emptying of arsenals are felt especially acutely: the stocks of weapons in the warehouses of the German Armed Forces "enough for two days of fighting," according to The Times columnist.

Literally in confirmation of the words of a British journalist, in mid-December, a scandal erupted around the situation with the latest German Puma infantry fighting vehicles that failed the reliability test.

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper, 18 armored combat vehicles, which were intended to replenish the NATO rapid reaction force, failed during the exercises.

Despite the fact that Lambrecht instructed to look into the reasons for what happened, the Puma case is no exception to the rule, but symbolizes the disaster that gripped the Bundeswehr even after the announcement of Scholz's "changes", according to FAZ representatives.

Recall that in the spring of 2022, the German Chancellor called a special fund for the country's armed forces in the amount of €100 billion a "significant step" for the security of Germany and Europe, as well as a response to "a change of eras."

The structure was created so that the German government could invest in improving the defense capability of the Bundeswehr.

However, according to FAZ journalists, the modern and sophisticated weapons systems that Berlin plans to spend money on are of no use if they break even during exercises.

According to journalists, it has long been clear that the Bundeswehr needs a systemic supply reform that cannot be postponed.

However, despite internal problems related to the combat readiness and supply of its own army, the leadership of Germany continues to provide regular assistance to Ukrainian troops.

According to the official representative of the German government, Steffen Hebestreit, in 2022 Germany provided support to Ukraine in the amount of more than €12 billion and intends to continue this course in 2023.

In particular, at the moment there is an active discussion of the supply of Leopard tanks to Kyiv: according to Bloomberg, Scholz “began to be increasingly pressured” to approve the tranche of these armored vehicles.

“According to two officials who are aware of the point of view of the authorities, in connection with the increased calls for Berlin to provide (Ukraine.

) heavy tanks, Germany is likely to decide on the supply of Leopard tanks,” Bloomberg says.

• Military Bundeswehr, January 12, 2023

• AP

• © Michael Sohn

At the same time, even Lambrecht herself recognized the existence of problems in the German Armed Forces due to weapons trenches to Kyiv, speaking at a plenary meeting of the Bundestag in early September 2022.

According to her, the stocks of the Bundeswehr are running out and Germany has reached the limit in the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

Nevertheless, this did not prevent the head of the German Ministry of Defense on January 12 from promising to deliver 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv in the first quarter of 2023. 

"On the brink of collapse"

As Alexander Kamkin, senior researcher at IMEMO RAS, noted in an interview with RT, German Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht, continuing the course of her predecessors to reduce funding for the Bundeswehr and simultaneously increase arms exports to Kyiv, aggravated the situation associated with "the deplorable state of the German Armed Forces."

“The German military-industrial complex under Lambrecht actively worked for export.

There was a supply of military equipment to the countries of the Persian Gulf, NATO allies, diesel submarines were supplied to Israel.

Accordingly, it would seem that Germany is quite capable of providing the necessary level of combat potential, but funding for internal needs has been constantly reduced, which ultimately led to the incident with the Puma infantry fighting vehicle and, in general, to the neglected army that we are now seeing in Germany, ”said the analyst.

At the same time, Scholz's ambitious plans to strengthen the country's Armed Forces look rather strange and contradict Berlin's policy of pumping Kyiv with weapons "to harm itself," Kamkin believes.

“Now support for Ukraine is in full swing with the supply of weapons, and we are talking about heavy and quite serious weapons.

In addition, Berlin decided to transfer the Patriot air defense system to Poland, which, too, is likely to be subsequently transferred to Kyiv.

In such conditions, and even with the chronic underfunding of the Bundeswehr, the country's armed forces are experiencing enormous difficulties, ”the expert stated.

In turn, Nikita Danyuk, deputy director of the RUDN Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts, member of the Russian Civic Chamber, noted that at such a pace of arms supplies to NATO countries and Kyiv, as now, "German defense capability will soon be leveled."

“The fact is that the German stockpiles of air defense systems and anti-missile defense, as well as other weapons, are depleted very quickly.

Military assistance to Kyiv runs counter to the interests of the Bundeswehr.

But because of the notorious transatlantic solidarity, Berlin is ready to push its defenses to the brink of collapse.

However, the same Lambrecht has already understood where things are going: she does not want to be associated with the process of the collapse of the German Armed Forces, for this reason she resigned, ”the analyst said in a comment to RT.

• Symbols of the Bundeswehr

• Legion Media

• © Sven Simon

The head of the Defense Ministry understands that Berlin will still be under pressure from Washington, so the FRG, already practically devoid of subjectivity and independence, will have to drop its weapons to Ukraine and the NATO countries bordering it “to the last drop,” Danyuk added.

“Subsequently, Germany, of course, will try to sabotage its obligations, but still continue to supply weapons, albeit with a creak.

Deliveries can be made much later than the announced dates or in a reduced format, when one quantity is announced and another is delivered.

But the United States will insist on the transfer of weapons to Ukraine in order to make Germany a country that is as dependent on the American Armed Forces.

However, sooner or later the dope of anti-Russian propaganda in Germany will pass, and the destroyed Bundeswehr will remain - and Germany will have to solve its own problems, ”concluded the expert.