Germany’s military gap cannot be fully closed by 2030: Defense Minister
BERLIN: Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has been quoted as saying that the German military will not be able to fully fill the existing gap until 2030.
“We all know that the existing gap cannot be fully closed until 2030,” Pistorius told the newspaper Welt am Sonntag, published on Saturday (April 1). It will take several years. Everyone knows that. there is.
The federal forces, already worn out by decades of underinvestment since the end of the Cold War, are in much worse condition than they were a year ago, experts say, given that most of the weapons and munitions donated to Ukraine have not yet been replaced.
Pistorius has refused to deliver additional weapons to Ukraine from federal stocks beyond announced promises.
“To be honest, like any other country, we have limited stocks. As the federal defense secretary, we can’t give up everything,” he said.
The minister, who was appointed earlier this year, said increasing the defense budget to reach the NATO spending target of 2% of national output, which is currently around 1.5%, is his top priority.
He added, “I will be satisfied if it is implemented at the end of the (legislative) period.”
Germany is also planning naval missions to the Indo-Pacific next year and is strengthening partnerships with key countries in the region, including Japan, Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore, he said. It was “too challenging” for the sea.
