Germany affirms commitment to US-made F-35 jets; approves Kiev aid
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Germany initially said it would purchase the F-35 from the US at the start of the war in Ukraine, however, Trump's policies have casted doubts over reliance on his country.
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US Air Force fighter aircraft F-35 performs aerobatic maneuvers on the third day of the Aero India 2025, a biennial event, at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 (AP)
Germany stated that it remains committed to purchasing F-35 multirole stealth jets from the United States, countering reports that it was reconsidering the purchase to reduce its reliance on the US.
The Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily reported that the German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius was planning consultations with top military officials on the topic of security issues related to the F-35s and other US-made equipment.
However, Defense Ministry spokesperson Mitko Mueller denied the German daily's claim by stating, "No 'crisis meeting' is planned, not today not in the future. We are continuing with the project."
Concerns have been raised that Washington may have the ability to control the jets, potentially through an embedded "kill switch", which grants the US ultimate authority over their deployment, however, the ministry spokesperson insisted that "there is no way to simply 'switch off' the F-35s remotely."
Despite the Ministry's claim, critics of the purchase decision pointed out that even if such a "kill switch" did not exist, Germany would remain reliant on the United States for spare parts and software updates, which would transmit data to the US.
Mueller pointed out that the F-35 is not an "exclusively American product," emphasizing that eight countries played a part in its development and 14 NATO countries use the jet or are planning to obtain it.
The Chancellor front-runner Friedrich Merz stated that he would prefer to grant European defense firms Germany's defense contracts, however, the F-35 is the best option to replace Germany's Tornado jet fleet, as the American jet would be the best fir for carrying US nuclear warheads stationed in Berlin.
Germany approves Ukraine military aid worth 3 billion euros
In a similar context, Germany approved a three billion euro (3.25 billion dollars) military aid package to Ukraine on Friday, just a few days before talks between Russia and Ukraine regarding the US-brokered limited truce agreement.
The funds are designated for defense equipment to support Kiev and include munitions, drones, armored vehicles, and air defense systems.
The parliament's budget committee approved the funds after months of delay due to disagreements within the government of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, however, the government was given more leeway after a constitutional amendment that would relax Germany's "debt brake" for defense spending.
Greens MP Britta Hasselmann, whose party has strongly advocated for Ukraine aid, expressed relief that the new funding was finally being released, though later than expected, calling the move "a strong signal to Ukraine, a signal that is absolutely necessary for peace and security in Europe."
The new aid package will top-up previously approved military aid to Ukraine worth 4 billion euros, while 8.3 billion euros were pledged to Ukraine's defense between 2026 and 2029.
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit stated that the latest package would include units of the German-made Iris-T air defense systems, which were yet to be built and would be delivered over the next two years.
