German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to further increase Germany’s defense budget by 10 billion euros. This writes the newspaper Der Spiegel. Those ten billion more would then come on top of the 100 billion euros previously announced by Chancellor Scholz, so that ammunition stocks can be replenished.
At the moment it is not clear whether it will be possible to replenish the ammunition with the previously announced budget increase, ministry spokesmen said. Salary increases are implemented by the package, which can make investing in ammunition more difficult.
The Finance Ministry is examining the Defense Ministry’s application, a spokesman said. “We are not talking about current affairs, but it is clear that the defense budget must continue to be increased to meet the needs of the military and respond to situations such as inflation and rising prices.”
Increase in 2024, decrease in 2023
Although Berlin relied mainly on the €100 billion promised for new military equipment, the regular defense budget will have decreased by around €300 million in 2023. In total, around €50 billion has been set aside for normal spending on defense, which is nowhere near the NATO standard of 2%, which is around 75 billion euros.
Even before Russia went to war in Ukraine, Germany lacked about 20 billion euros to meet NATO standards.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
