German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has warned government officials that the Bundeswehr will lack up to 6 billion euros next year. This was reported by the Bild newspaper, according to UNN.
Details
It is clarified that the achievement of the NATO target of 2 percent of GDP in military spending may even be in question.
It is noted that the budget of the German Armed Forces for 2025 may be in deficit, and as a result, Germany may not reach the NATO target of 2% of GDP for defense spending.
It is planned to allocate €52 billion to the Bundeswehr in 2025. In order for Berlin to meet the requirements of the alliance, it needs to increase it by €4.5-6 billion, Bild notes.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius informed Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the situation; negotiations with the Ministry of Finance are underway, but so far without success. The chancellor rejects the option proposed by the finance ministry to raise funds by cutting social benefits.
Scholz promised that Germany would adhere to NATO standards for defense spending until the country reached this figure.
According to Bild, the German army needs additional funds for such needs:
- purchase of new wheeled armored vehicles;
- re-equipping the Buchel airfield to accommodate new F-35 fighters;
- ensuring the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania, etc.
According to the publication, the funds currently planned to be allocated will be enough to cover operating costs (e.g., salaries for soldiers, heating barracks, tank repairs), with only €500 million left over for investments in new weapons.
Without an increase in defense funding, the country's budget for next year is expected to be €25 billion in deficit.
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