Posted on 03/02/2023 4:10:33 PM PST by rxsid
German defence minister says his country cannot protect itself in war
The Germany Defence Minister said the army of his country is understaffed and does not have adequate equipment as it has been neglected from the federal government for decades
Berlin: German army is not capable of protecting the country against any offensive, said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. He further alleged that the Bundeswehr is understaffed and under-equipped after being left neglected from the federal government for decades.
“We have no armed forces that are capable of defending [Germany] that is, capable of defending [it] against an offensive, brutally waged aggressive war,” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said during a meeting with fellow members of the Social Democratic Party.
Germany should invest more in its military
The minister claimed that the German army is understaffed and does not have adequate equipment as it has been neglected from the federal government for decades.
He said Germany will have to increase its investment in its military in order to be up to NATO standards.
Last week, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, the commander and highest ranking officer of the German army, said the 100 billion euro previously promised by Chancellor Olaf Scholz would not be enough to make the country’s armed forces battle ready.
“The army that I have the duty to lead is more or less bare,” a report by press agency DPA quoted Mais saying.
Pistorius’ remark came within hours after chairman of German Armed Forces Association, Colonel Andre Wustner, in an interview to Bild claimed that only 30 per cent of approximately 300 Leopard 2 tanks in Germany’s stock are currently operational.
Despite a worrisome state of defence at home, Germany has been providing extensive assistance to war-torn Ukraine as it fights against Russian invasion for over a year now.
The German government has transferred two state-of-the-art air defence systems to Ukraine that were meant to protect Berlin, said CEO of Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, to Pioneer podcast on Tuesday.
For the unversed, Rheinmetall in Germany’s top military contractor.
Germany sending weapons to Ukraine have been facing criticism and protests. On Saturday, Die Linke (Left Party in Germany) organised a rally calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz to restrict supplying arms to Kyiv.
But they are helping to keep Ukraine armed... I guess their idea is to stop Russia “over there” and pray they don’t have to actually defend themselves...
What the heck? Dang! What have they been using their defense budget on? Where is the NATO money going?
There is a LOT to that statement! Most NATO countries have (and Trump rightly pointed this out when he was in office) allowed the US to fund the lion’s share of Europe’s defense while those same countries then cut defense spending dramatically and re-directed it to their socialist policies and programs...
They were very good and very powerful in the 1980s, but they sure let themselves go.
“German defence minister says his country cannot protect itself in war”
Why bother, after all, just IGNORE Afghanistan, as they were people who never agreed to the EU “Rules-Based International Order”.
No doubt that Germany is good with it, otherwise they’d be a bit upset about us BLOWING UP THEIR PIPELINE. But since they are cool with losing a cool 1-Trillion in GNP, they’ll bend over for anything that Richard Levine may want to do to them.
... and re-directed it to their vote-buying programs.
Been true since 1914.
It can’t even protect itself from the Muslim invasion.
Indeed.
Good point!
I have two suggestions for Boris:
1- Call Abdul in Afghanistan. He has a large inventory of the world’s finest military equipment at bargain prices.
2- Call Vlodimir in Kiev. He has a large quantity of surplus, first class experienced soldiers who have plenty of time on their hands, having defeated a nuclear power on a daily basis.
They haven’t been helping much, in terms of actual military aid. Much of the EU financial aid is ultimately German, so there is that. They can give money.
Abdul in Afghanistan hasn’t got much that is relevant for a war in Europe. Nearly all that stuff was for counterinsurgency. The ammo everyone wants is 155mm artillery shells, and there was little of that in Afghanistan. Nor atgms, manpads, and etc.
Granted, the Ukrainians have decided that MRAPS are useful, as they are more resistant to artillery near misses than most other things. So those might be worth buying back. But I think the US still has thousands of them surplus.
1 Trillion in Gdp?
Wondering about your math.
That’s too bad.....
“We have no armed forces that are capable of defending [Germany] that is, capable of defending [it] against an offensive, brutally waged aggressive war,”
How far they have fallen from being the most feared and formidable armed forces in history. America...pay attention.
All of a sudden the poor helpless krauts, they just need someone to help them out.
Time to reactivate the Siegfried Line in the west and declare all German cities in the east to be fortresses. Dust off those old WW II defensive plans. Maybe this time they’ll work.
And when planning all this, the current German chancellor should yell out “Steiner!” now and again. You know, for old times sake.
(Anyone get that reference?)
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