Germany commits €100 billion to defense spending
Germany has announced a plan to prioritize military spending in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A "special fund" will be set up to better equip the Bundeswehr.
The boost in defense spending comes after the public circumspection of former German defense leaders who have said the military is unprepared for the challenges confronting European security after Russia invaded Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a plan to
beef up the German military on Sunday, pledging €100 billion ($112.7 billion) of the 2022 budget for the armed forces and repeating his promise to reach the 2% of gross domestic product spending on defense in line with NATO demands.
Scholz announced the new allocation in a speech during a special session of parliament on Germany's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He said the spending would include investments and armaments projects for the German military.
Scholz also said
Germany would supply the Ukrainian military with weaponry, in a reversal of previous policy.