- Military advancements in Germany are experiencing significant delays.
Germany is strengthening its security measures in response to Russia's hostile actions towards Ukraine, but as per the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), this process is happening at a slow pace. Guntram Wolff of IfW commented, "Russia is emerging as a increasingly potent security threat for NATO. Simultaneously, we're making sluggish progress with the military reinforcement necessary for deterrence."
What Europe necessitates, besides a special fund, is a prompt and substantial escalation in Germany's defense expenditure to at least 2% of its GDP, Wolff underscored. "Continuing as usual would be imprudent and negligent considering Russia's aggression." Currently, Germany meets NATO's 2% requirement through the inclusion of special fund allocations for the Bundeswehr.
Military Acquisitions Overview
The latest "Kiel Report" from the institute reveals that the German authorities are barely replacing the weapons shipped to Ukraine. Inventory of air defense systems and mobile artillery howitzers launch units have even decreased. Germany started significantly augmenting its defense budget only in 2023, with orders amounting to approximately 90 million euros placed since then. The report records all publicly accessible German military acquisitions since 2020.
Sharp Disarmament and Gradual Remilitarization
Stocks have been on a downward trend over the past 20 years. In 2004, Germany boasted about 434 combat aircraft, 2,398 tanks, and 978 howitzers, but by 2021, these figures had declined to 226 aircraft, 339 tanks, and 121 howitzers. At the current procurement speed, it would take around 15 years to reach the 2004 level for combat jets, around 40 years for tanks, and until 2121 for howitzers, according to the report. This is a result of the dramatic disarmament of recent years and the continued slow remilitarization under the current administration.
IfW President: "Period of Change" is Merely a Slogan
IfW Kiel President Moritz Schularick asserted, "The 'period of change' is thus far just a slogan." Peace will only prevail when Moscow realizes that it cannot militarily triumph in a European invasion. For this, Germany and Europe require credible military capabilities. Therefore, Schularick advocated for Germany to have a "suitable defense budget" of at least 100 billion euros annually.
The European Union, as a collective, should also increase its defense expenditures in response to Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. Given Russia's escalating threats to NATO, the European Union needs to match Germany's commitment to strengthening its security measures, ensuring a substantial increase in defense budgets across its member states.
