Germany says it will rearm

[Tshering22]

Germany Announces It Will Rearm​

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives for a statement on Ukraine at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, February 24, 2022. (Michael Kappeler/Pool via Reuters)



This morning, in an extraordinary development — unimaginable just 96 hours ago — German chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his country will rearm in the face of Russian aggression.


Germany is Europe’s richest and most powerful nation. Unfortunately, Berlin has been the weak link in the Western alliance for a generation. Since reunification, under Chancellors Kohl, Schröder, and Merkel, Germany’s once-powerful military has atrophied (Americans sometimes forget that, during the Cold War, the West German army was a formidable and important component of NATO’s plan to defend Western Europe).

Every American president this century has asked, begged, cajoled, and pleaded with the Germans to take more responsibility for Europe’s defense. Alas, even during the Obama/Trump/Biden “pivot to Asia,” the Germans have been content to spend a pittance on defense — last year, barely over 1.5 percent of GDP, which is billions and billions of dollars below the NATO-country target of 2 percent of GDP.

What kind of real-world effect has this had on Germany military readiness and hard power?

Just last week, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, the German army’s chief of staff, wrote in a post on his personal LinkedIn account that “the Bundeswehr, the army which I have the honor to command, is standing there more or less empty-handed.”

The options we can offer the government in support of the alliance are extremely limited. We have all seen it coming but were not able to get through with our arguments to draw the consequences after [Russia’s] annexation of Crimea. This does not feel good. I am fed up with it.

This is not Frederick the Great’s army. This morning, however, Chancellor Scholz, speaking to the Bundestag, the German parliament, called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “a turning point in the history of our continent” and vowed that Germany will now spend 2 percent of GDP on defense “from now on, every year.”

“We are not only striving for this goal because we have promised our friends and allies that we will increase our defense spending to 2 percent of our economic output by 2024, but we do this for ourselves, too, for our own safety,” Scholz told the lawmakers.

Scholz also asked the Bundenstag to approve an additional one-off $110 billion infusion of funds into Germany’s military, which is on the order of twice what the country normally spends per year on defense. Perhaps even more amazingly, the chancellor declared that Germany would “change course” in order to become less dependent on Russian energy imports. Germany will “quickly build” two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to facilitate this.

Vladimir Putin may yet win his war in Ukraine. But his actions have, in just four days, overturned the policy Russian leaders have pursued for 75 years: Keep Germany weak, distracted, and disarmed.

 

[TheNoob]

Germany rearming will change the entire political situation in Europe xD That'd be interesting to see.

 

[QWECXZ]

And farewell to the European Union... Finally!

 

[pakpride00090]

4th Reich here we come.

 

[khansaheeb]

Germany Announces It Will Rearm​

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives for a statement on Ukraine at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, February 24, 2022. (Michael Kappeler/Pool via Reuters)



This morning, in an extraordinary development — unimaginable just 96 hours ago — German chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his country will rearm in the face of Russian aggression.


Germany is Europe’s richest and most powerful nation. Unfortunately, Berlin has been the weak link in the Western alliance for a generation. Since reunification, under Chancellors Kohl, Schröder, and Merkel, Germany’s once-powerful military has atrophied (Americans sometimes forget that, during the Cold War, the West German army was a formidable and important component of NATO’s plan to defend Western Europe).

Every American president this century has asked, begged, cajoled, and pleaded with the Germans to take more responsibility for Europe’s defense. Alas, even during the Obama/Trump/Biden “pivot to Asia,” the Germans have been content to spend a pittance on defense — last year, barely over 1.5 percent of GDP, which is billions and billions of dollars below the NATO-country target of 2 percent of GDP.

What kind of real-world effect has this had on Germany military readiness and hard power?

Just last week, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, the German army’s chief of staff, wrote in a post on his personal LinkedIn account that “the Bundeswehr, the army which I have the honor to command, is standing there more or less empty-handed.”



This is not Frederick the Great’s army. This morning, however, Chancellor Scholz, speaking to the Bundestag, the German parliament, called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “a turning point in the history of our continent” and vowed that Germany will now spend 2 percent of GDP on defense “from now on, every year.”

“We are not only striving for this goal because we have promised our friends and allies that we will increase our defense spending to 2 percent of our economic output by 2024, but we do this for ourselves, too, for our own safety,” Scholz told the lawmakers.

Scholz also asked the Bundenstag to approve an additional one-off $110 billion infusion of funds into Germany’s military, which is on the order of twice what the country normally spends per year on defense. Perhaps even more amazingly, the chancellor declared that Germany would “change course” in order to become less dependent on Russian energy imports. Germany will “quickly build” two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to facilitate this.

Vladimir Putin may yet win his war in Ukraine. But his actions have, in just four days, overturned the policy Russian leaders have pursued for 75 years: Keep Germany weak, distracted, and disarmed.

It would be a big mistake to let Germany rearm. The Germans still harbour bosomed hatred of the surrounding countries who helped in their defeat in WW2 and the Germans are more likely to turn on their immediate neighbours than Russia.

 

[nang2]

4th Reich here we come.

The fourth time is the charm. Or is it the 3rd?

 

[etylo]

No, most barbaric people still run in their blood disguised as peaceful people now just as Jap, just waiting to erupt ! When they are totally rearmed, especially with nuclear weapons, it's going to be catastrophic for the whole world, they will start World War III soon and call for humanity's total destruction. Don't trust the Germans and Jap totally that they will do any good to the world if they are giving a totally free hand !

 

[313ghazi]

It's about time they grew a set of balls.

 

[Pappa Alpha]

French

 

[Skull and Bones]

You particularly don't want Germany and Japan to rearm itself.

 

[Tshering22]

The fourth time is the charm. Or is it the 3rd?

Fourth Reich. But Third World War.

No, most barbaric people still run in their blood disguised as peaceful people now just as Jap, just waiting to erupt ! When they are totally rearmed, especially with nuclear weapons, it's going to be catastrophic for the whole world, they will start World War III soon and call for humanity's total destruction. Don't trust the Germans and Jap totally that they will do any good to the world if they are giving a totally free hand !

The Japanese hear you:

U.S. should abandon ambiguity on Taiwan defense: Japan's Abe

Japan wants US nuclear missiles on Japanese soil and they have already started arming in 2019.

 

[reflecthofgeismar]

Germany rearming will change the entire political situation in Europe xD That'd be interesting to see.

And farewell to the European Union... Finally!

Error 404 the EU can not be found.

Free Visa tour

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

It's about time they grew a set of balls.

You are expecting too much,

We are talking about German and Japanese poodles here.

They are making some noises to please their master.

 

[Indian Libertarian]

Germany Announces It Will Rearm​

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives for a statement on Ukraine at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, February 24, 2022. (Michael Kappeler/Pool via Reuters)



This morning, in an extraordinary development — unimaginable just 96 hours ago — German chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his country will rearm in the face of Russian aggression.


Germany is Europe’s richest and most powerful nation. Unfortunately, Berlin has been the weak link in the Western alliance for a generation. Since reunification, under Chancellors Kohl, Schröder, and Merkel, Germany’s once-powerful military has atrophied (Americans sometimes forget that, during the Cold War, the West German army was a formidable and important component of NATO’s plan to defend Western Europe).

Every American president this century has asked, begged, cajoled, and pleaded with the Germans to take more responsibility for Europe’s defense. Alas, even during the Obama/Trump/Biden “pivot to Asia,” the Germans have been content to spend a pittance on defense — last year, barely over 1.5 percent of GDP, which is billions and billions of dollars below the NATO-country target of 2 percent of GDP.

What kind of real-world effect has this had on Germany military readiness and hard power?

Just last week, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, the German army’s chief of staff, wrote in a post on his personal LinkedIn account that “the Bundeswehr, the army which I have the honor to command, is standing there more or less empty-handed.”



This is not Frederick the Great’s army. This morning, however, Chancellor Scholz, speaking to the Bundestag, the German parliament, called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “a turning point in the history of our continent” and vowed that Germany will now spend 2 percent of GDP on defense “from now on, every year.”

“We are not only striving for this goal because we have promised our friends and allies that we will increase our defense spending to 2 percent of our economic output by 2024, but we do this for ourselves, too, for our own safety,” Scholz told the lawmakers.

Scholz also asked the Bundenstag to approve an additional one-off $110 billion infusion of funds into Germany’s military, which is on the order of twice what the country normally spends per year on defense. Perhaps even more amazingly, the chancellor declared that Germany would “change course” in order to become less dependent on Russian energy imports. Germany will “quickly build” two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to facilitate this.

Vladimir Putin may yet win his war in Ukraine. But his actions have, in just four days, overturned the policy Russian leaders have pursued for 75 years: Keep Germany weak, distracted, and disarmed.

This is the weirdest turn of events. If you told me about this in the beginning of this year I would’ve laughed. Who would have expected the Green Party and rearmament to be in the same sentence?

Also not good for NATO and America, no keeping Germany down.

 

[nahtanbob]

If Germany had Ukraine on its side the outcome of Operation Barbarossa would be different. I see Stalingrad or Moscow falling in 1941.