Berlin lowers supplies to German armed forces, Kiev receiving instead

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
10 Dec 2022 19:42

Berlin has decreased material supply to its armed forces as many of it has gone to Ukraine.

German Bundeswehr soldiers take part in the NATO military exercise 'Iron Wolf 2022-II' at a training range in Pabrade, north of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. The multinational exercise 'Iron Wolf 2022-II' will train roughly 3,500 soldiers. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

German Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Hogl revealed on Saturday that Berlin has lowered supply to the German military as a lot of the material "went to Ukraine".

Hogl also said that due to sending the material to Kiev, the situation of the armed forces is "worse now".

The commissioner stressed the need to hasten the process of updating the German armed forces.

"The situation in the Bundeswehr [German armed forces] is such that since February 24 we have less material than before. Because, of course, a lot went to Ukraine to support it. Therefore, the material situation in the Bundeswehr is worse now," Hogl told German radio station Deutschlandfunk.

The statement comes after Chancellor Olaf Scholz repeatedly declared that arms supplies to Ukraine will continue as long as needed to fight Russia.

Last August, Scholz announced that Germany is transferring weapons to Ukraine new equipment that even the German armed forces do not yet have.

"Some of these systems are so new that only very few have been produced and some of them have not even been introduced in the Bundeswehr," he stated then.

In the same context, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said earlier in September the German military is running out of weapons that can be sent to Ukraine, but Ukraine may still rely on Germany's assistance in the future.

"We are unable to send many [weapons] from the Bundeswehr," Lambrecht stated then.

It's noteworthy that on October 22, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Christine Lambrecht reportedly requested in a letter to the Ministry of Finance to pay out $2.2 billion as military funds to Kiev in 2023, which is nearly triple the amount of Berlin's original planned budget.