Scholz pledges two percent permanent defense spending for the Bundeswehr
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has confirmed that Germany intends to spend two percent of its economic output on defense "permanently". This also applies to the time when the 100 billion euro special fund for the Bundeswehr has been used up, Scholz said at the Bundeswehr Conference in Berlin. There is "absolutely no question that the turning point that Russia's war of aggression represents requires a long-term, permanent change of course".
That is why the German government is "working on an adjustment path for the defense budget" for the time after the special fund, said Scholz. "We will guarantee this two percent in the long term."
Scholz announced the 100 billion euro special fund shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. It is intended to make the Bundeswehr, which has been cut back over the years, fit again for national and alliance defense. The special fund will now be used to finance extensive armaments purchases - from stealth jets to new frigates and infantry fighting vehicles.
Scholz additionally mentioned that the permanent defense spending of two percent will be maintained even after the special assets from the 100 billion euro fund for the Bundeswehr have been expended. The special assets are primarily allocated for modernizing the German Armed Forces, including the purchase of new stealth jets, frigates, and infantry fighting vehicles. Despite these significant investments, Scholz reiterated his commitment to sustaining a defense budget that represents two percent of Germany's economic output.
Source: www.ntv.de
