Germany is, after all, much closer to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine than Lithuania is.
More or less. Less, actually. But still.
Germany plans to base extra Nato troops at home rather than Lithuania – Berlin proposes 3,500-strong brigade for its own soil, which could be quickly deployed to Baltics if necessary.
Not.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised two months ago to deliver a substantial increase in defense spending. Where is that money now? Funny you should ask, since Mr. Scholz’s waffling on his signature pledge is a growing controversy in Berlin.
The “turning point” speech Mr. Scholz delivered on Feb. 27 included two promises: increase the annual military budget to at least 2% of GDP, in line with North Atlantic Treaty Organization targets, and create a one-time €100 billion ($105 billion) special fund for procurement. Crucially, the procurement fund would be exempt from the constitutional limit on government debt, although the regular military budget wouldn’t be…
Yet Mr. Scholz is struggling to say what he meant by his twin promises. His February speech neglected to specify whether he meant he’d spend 2% of GDP plus €100 billion, or whether he’d spend 2% of GDP including the €100 billion. The distinction matters.
By the Dutch. Well, it’s not like you could ever expect the Germans to do it.
Germany is a nation of peace and love. With an alibi army that doesn’t work because it’s intentionally designed not to work. While being the world’s third largest weapons exporter. So, you do the math. I never could figure that one out.
The Netherlands is transferring some of its German-built Panzerhaubitze 2000 long-range armored howitzers to Ukraine. Also known as the Pzh 2000, these hulking 61.5-ton tracked vehicles are arguably the heaviest land-warfare systems a Western ally has transferred to Ukraine so far.
Germany itself has so far refrained from giving heavy weapons to Ukraine as German Chancellor Scholze claims it risks depleting the reserves of the Bundeswehr or excessively provoking Russia.
It’s never been tried before but the times they are a changin’ and call for desperate measures.
It goes like this: Instead of developing their own comparable European weapon system that will take three times longer to develop and cost three times more than planned (and then not work), Germany will buy a fully-functioning weapon system from US-Amerika that already exists and is immediately deliverable instead.
Germany to buy F-35 warplanes for nuclear deterrence – Germany will buy up to 35 copies of the U.S.-made F-35 fighter jet, reversing years-long plans that saw the fifth-generation warplane eliminated from consideration, defense leaders announced Monday.
The old days. When Germany could elegantly or less elegantly wiggle out of paying for its own defense (spending 2% GDP for defense like it had promised to pay many, many years ago).
Suddenly, inexplicably, now it’s possible after all. Mysterious, don’t you think? We need to find some experts to explain to us just how this change of heart was made possible.
Putin Accidentally Started a Revolution in Germany – The invasion of Ukraine is triggering a dramatic reversal of Berlin’s grand strategy.
In seven days, Germany has axed its biggest Russian energy project, imposed sanctions that will cause significant pain at home, and instituted a course that will make Germany the largest European defense spender, with the most advanced aircraft and a growing forward presence in Central and Eastern Europe. One can wonder whether Germany’s dedicated detractors in Washington will notice. How did it happen so quickly, when German officials had so tenaciously defended their status quo policies for so long?
But they are doing so in a way that will help create the illusion that the current Banana Republican administration in Washington has something to say in the matter.
Germany, U.S. hold talks in Washington on Nord Stream 2, Berlin says – Germany and the United States are holding talks in Washington to try to resolve a row over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday…
Russia’s Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and its Western partners are racing to finish the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea. The project, now about 95% complete, would bypass Ukraine, potentially depriving it of lucrative transit fees and undermining its struggle against Russian aggression.
Do you remember? Way back when, many presidents ago, when Germany promised to spend 2 percent of its GDP on defense?
The Germans don’t either.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Tuesday that the US military will increase its presence in Germany, recommitting the US to the NATO alliance in a reversal from the previous administration’s plans to withdraw troops from the country.
The US will permanently station “approximately 500 additional US personnel in the Wiesbaden area” of Germany and will be on the ground “as early as fall,” Austin said during a news conference in Berlin.
“This planned increase in US personnel underscores our commitment to Germany, and to the entire NATO alliance,” he added.
Running North Korean software, I assume.
German subs using Russian nav systems: report – ‘During a worst-case cyberattack, navigation data could be hacked and the ship could fully lose operability.’
That means to withdraw.
US to withdraw 12,000 troops from Germany in ‘strategic’ move – The US is set to withdraw almost 12,000 troops from Germany in what it described as a “strategic” repositioning of its forces in Europe.
About 6,400 troops will be sent home, with the rest moved to other Nato countries such as Italy and Belgium.
President Donald Trump said the move was a response to Germany failing to meet Nato targets on defence spending.
That means former officer. And that means a really, really bad person – despite being antiwar.
Trump picks antiwar favorite Douglas Macgregor to be German ambassador – Macgregor is a favorite among Trump supporters who want to pull US troops from the Mideast and Afghanistan. As ambassador, he would oversee Trump’s plan to slash the substantial US troop presence in Germany.
Ex-Offizier Macgregor soll US-Botschafter werden.
Observing Hermann 